Coming into the 2026 football season, there were a lot of questions surrounding the Michigan offense, one of the biggest being who would be starting on the offensive line. Well, even when OL coach Jim Harding got that answer, it didn't last long due to injuries in fall camp and during the season.
Not only has Michigan dealt with injuries on the starting line, but also in the depth of the group, making it feel like a revolving door of guys in and out on the field. Injuries happen, though; everyone deals with them, and that is what Harding wants to remind his team and the fans. Even with injuries, he expects the best from his guys, and the level of play hasn't been where he wants it to be.
"You know, you could say, 'Well, you've had this many injuries or this many missed games,' and frankly, nobody cares," Harding said. "There's injuries all across the country, and so we've got to do a better job."
#Michigan OL coach Jim Harding was very blunt on how he feels his unit has performed through four games:
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) September 30, 2026
"Truthfully, it’s not where I want it to be and where I think it can be and that falls on me ultimately." pic.twitter.com/kxrjlyongx
Michigan's offensive line can't seem to stay healthy this season
Not only have Michigan's starters had injury issues this season, but the reserves have as well. With availability reports coming out regularly now that the Wolverines are in conference play, it seems like they are constantly littered with guys from Harding's group.
When it comes to starters, Andrew Sprague and Andrew Babalola have missed the most games. Sprague was a late scratch for the UTEP game, while Babalola hasn't seen the field yet this season due to a setback in fall camp when trying to return from an ACL tear in fall camp in 2025.
Looking deeper into the offensive line room, Ace Hamilton was ruled out for the season due to a lower-leg injury. Manuel Beigel missed the Iowa game and is now listed as questionable for the Minnesota matchup. Other guys listed as questionable vs. the Golden Gophers on the line are Sprague, who just returned to practice but isn't a lock to play, and Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres.
The good news is that Blake Frazier, who went down and looked to be in serious pain against Iowa but did return to play in that game, is probable for the Minnesota game. Frazier has been big for the Wolverines, moving around as needed, filling a role he was used to playing last season as the guy who could play anywhere on the line.
Harding isn't allowing all of these injuries, though, to be an excuse for any sort of poor play for the Wolverines. The offensive line hasn't played great in the first four games of the season, but they have steadily gotten better in each game. The pass-blocking has definitely improved, as seen by the numbers coming from Bryce Underwood and his receivers.
The next goal for the offensive line has to be getting the run game going. While Underwood has been great with his legs this season, Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter have yet to fully take off this season, and some of that is due to poor run blocking from the offensive line.
Hopefully, Harding's unit will be ready to go against Minnesota and can build some momentum going into the bye next week and hosting No. 6 Indiana the following week.
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