3 thoughts on commitment of Avery Gach to Michigan football

If you want to know why Michigan football won so many games the past three seasons, look no further than the offensive line.

Everybody seems to say "you win and lose in the trenches" but Michigan football is one of the few programs that recruits and develops like it. Say what you will, this program knows how to develop offensive lineman.

That's evident when a former offensive lineman is your head coach. Sherrone Moore and now Grant Newsome, have an eye for talent. Newsome has been groomed for this role and I expect him to do just as well as Sherrone did.

On the recruiting side of things, Michigan got its 2025 class off to a good start with the commitment of Avery Gach on Friday. Gach is the No. 2 player in Michigan and No. 236 recruit overall in 2025 according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Jim Harbaugh called offensive linemen "weapons" in the NFL draft and Gach can be one for the Wolverines. Here are three thoughts on his commitment to U-M.

Some positive momentum

It's been a tough week for Michigan football on the recruiting trail, at least as far as Ohio running backs are concerned. Marquise Davis chose Kentucky. Then, Bo Jackson posted his official visit schedule, which didn't include the Wolverines.

Gach isn't a five-star or anything but he's ranked second in the state of Michigan for the 2025 class. He's a 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman. Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State were involved too, but this was a must get for Michigan.

Michigan gets some momentum and also a really good player that will keep the pipeline of offensive lineman strong.

A perfect fit

Sherrone Moore pushed back on the idea that recruiting was off to a "slow start" a couple of weeks ago. Nate Marshall had just committed and Moore said that the Wolverines were lookng for the right players but the commitments would come as they come.

Gach is the right kind of player. It seemed like he wanted to wait until this summer to announce his commitment but Michigan football got him to go public earlier than expected.

Gach is a mauler and loves driving people to the ground. He's going be a physical presence up front which makes him an ideal fit for the smash philosophoy employed by Moore and the Wolverines.

Position versatility

One line on the scouting report from 247 Sports that jumps out at me is that Gach is regarded as "a high-floor player."

That's because he could be play three different positions. He's played left and right tackle in high school. At first blush, he looks like a right tackle to me. His footwoork needs some polish and he might do better on the right side of even the interior.

Gach excels at getting to the second level. He's also good at finishing blocks and I could easily see him bumping inside to guard if offensive tackle doesn't work.

So whether it's at guard or tackle, Michigan football is getting a guy who will start down the road, but can also provide crucial depth early in his career. He's the classic low-floor, high-ceiling kind of player that Michigan football has killed it with in recent years.