Breaking down Michigan Football’s 2026 offensive line

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) celebrates a touchdown against Central Michigan with offensive lineman Andrew Sprague (54) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan’s offensive line experienced a tumultuous 2025 season. Four different players that all would have had significant snaps were limited due to injury and that caused the starter at left tackle, left guard and right guard to change all season long.

Michigan is in much better shape heading into the 2026 season and is set to have an offensive line rotation of seven starting caliber players and a good supporting cast to help out if injuries plague the group again.

With only two major departures, Giovanni El-Hadi and Greg Crippen, let’s breakdown what Michigan’s offensive line is going to look like in 2026.

Starters

LT: Blake Frazier

Blake Frazier made a massive Year 2 jump last season after not playing at all his freshman year. Frazier played in all 13 games and made eight starts along the offensive line, sliding into the left tackle spot against Michigan State and stayed there for the rest of the season. If he makes a similar jump this year, he could end up being one of the most underrated offensive lineman in the Big Ten. Frazier is also a Michigan-man through and through, the son of Steve Frazier who was on the 1997 national championship team and wearing No. 77, understanding the historical significance of that number at Michigan.

LG: Evan Link

Similar to Frazier, Evan Link didn’t play at all his freshman year before coming in and making 10 starts at left tackle his sophomore year in 2024. Last season he started at left tackle again after he was in a battle with then-freshman Andrew Babalola, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL in fall camp. But Link’s season also got cut short after an injury during the Washington game. He’ll once again likely be in a position battle with Babalola and other rotational players.

C: Jake Guarnera

Initially putting his name in the transfer portal, Jake Guarnera decided to stick around for junior season. Guarnera played special teams in five games his freshman year before becoming an All-Big Ten honorable mention and Michigan’s Dierdorf-Hutchinson Award winner for team’s top offensive lineman his sophomore year. He’s already cemented himself as the starting center after starting at right guard all season in 2025 from the Central Michigan game onwards. The junior center taking over for Greg Crippen is almost certainly going to be one of Michigan’s best offensive lineman in 2026.

RG: Nathan Efobi

The right guard position is likely the most up-in-the-air after Brady Norton and Jake Guarnera shared the vast majority of the reps at the position last season. Norton was injured in Week 2 against Oklahoma, so Guarnera started there from then-on-out. Efobi started at left guard when Giovani El-Hadi was injured also in Week 2 against Oklahoma. With Guarnera moved to center, that leaves Efobi and Norton in a battle for the right guard, but Efobi will likely get the start due solely off of him starting at the position in the Citrus Bowl.

RT: Andrew Sprague

Although the entire offensive line is quite experienced, the right tackle position is the only one remaining exactly the same from all of last season. Andrew Sprague started all 12 regular season games at right tackle before sitting during the Citrus Bowl. Like Guarnera, Sprague also initially put his name in the transfer portal before withdrawing less than a week later. While Norton got the start at right tackle against Texas, expect Sprague to have another All-Big Ten caliber season after receiving an honorable mention a year ago.

Potential starters/rotation players

Andrew Babalola

Babalola is the biggest wildcard. A year ago, coaches praised his intelligence and knack for the game during spring practices. Entrenched in a battle with Link for the starting left tackle spot, Babalola was forced out of it due to an ACL tear in fall camp. He wasn’t full-go this spring but is expected to be back in action during fall camp. The former five-star recruit undoubtedly has the chance to start and compete with Frazier for the left tackle spot if he’s fully healthy. Otherwise he’ll serve as one of the most talented sixth starters in all of college football.

Brady Norton

After an injury also derailed Norton’s season last year with an injury during Week 2 against Oklahoma, the Cal Poly transfer is in limbo for this upcoming year. Norton started at right guard in Week 1, started as the sixth starter in Week 2, playing on special teams when he returned against Michigan State as he didn’t earn his right guard spot back and finally cracked the starting lineup again at right tackle in the Citrus Bowl. With Sprague back, Norton will likely back up multiple positions and potentially compete for the right guard spot with Efobi.

If needed players

Brooks Bahr, Manuel Beigel, Tommy Fraumann, Avery Gach, Ace Hamilton, Luke Hamilton, Houston Ka’aha’aina-Torres, Malakai Lee, Marky Walbridge

With seven Big Ten starting caliber players already on the roster, Michigan didn’t need to add anyone in the offseason aside from injury insurance. Houston Ka’aha’aina-Torres is the lone transfer from Nebraska that will provide some cushion given injury. Sophomore Avery Gach had significant special teams reps and could also crack the rotation if there’s an injury. Junior Manuel Beigel is also a wildcard as he makes the transition over from defensive line to offensive line this season. Beigel saw action in seven games, four on special teams and three on defense a year ago after playing in one game his freshman season.

Freshmen four-stars Malakai Lee and Marky Walbridge could play on special teams or a game or two on the offensive line. If not, the two could possibly redshirt. Senior Brooks Bahr and junior Luke Hamilton each played in one game a season ago. And finally Tommy Fraumann and Ace Hamilton are both incoming three-star recruits that could get a game or two on special teams and/or will likely redshirt.