Fall camp is officially underway in Ann Arbor with players and coaches reporting on Tuesday and practices commencing on Wednesday. It is the final step before the season begins on September 5 with the Wolverines taking on Western Michigan.
This is the first fall camp for new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff, and, of course, their first order of business is diagnosing position battles. When it comes to the offensive line, there are a couple of positions up for grabs, especially at left tackle.
Coming off his sophomore year, Blake Frazier was not a starter for the Wolverines, but served as the primary swing option, playing at both tackle and guard. Now, he is coming into his junior year battling for the starting left tackle position with sophomore Andrew Babalola. It will be a tough battle, but Frazier's latest post on social media showing his body transformation from the end of January to now could be a big reason he wins this one.
Michigan OL Blake Frazier’s January to end of summer transformation 💪https://t.co/heTuXOff4P pic.twitter.com/8cKZ7Tc8n0
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) August 5, 2026
Blake Frazier and Andrew Babalola's position battle is one of the biggest to watch in fall camp
Frazier battling against Babalola won't be easy, even though the sophomore is coming off an injury that kept him sidelined for his freshman season. Frazier had two things going his way, though: first, he was the primary swing option, so he has the experience with this offensive line, and second, he has clearly bulked up since the end of the 2025 season.
Size plays a huge factor when it comes to being a good offensive lineman, so the fact that Frazier has noticeably bulked up could be the difference in what is a very close position battle right now. While the offensive line is looking good for Michigan right now, the left tackle position is the biggest opening up for grabs.
Babalola is coming off an ACL tear at the end of camp last season, but is now 100% healthy and back, ready to make some noise on the offensive line. While Frazier wasn't perfect for Michigan last season in his swing duties or when he took over for Evan Link, who went down with a midseason injury, he is back and ready to prove he can be a starter for the Wolverines.
Out of the multiple position battles during Michigan's fall camp, the one between Frazier and Babalola is one of the tightest, and Frazier's transformation could be the difference. Bulking up could give Frazier that extra strength he needs to help protect quarterback Bryce Underwood from opposing defensive lines.
This is a battle that may not be settled till later in camp, or even by Week 1, but if offensive line coach Jim Harding wants an offensive line to gel by then, he will need to make the decision sooner rather than later.
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