Biggest Decision Facing Michigan Coach Kyle Whittingham Before Camp Begins

With being the new head coach at Michigan, Kyle Whittingham has some decisions to make, but none as great as this one.

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Fall camp begins on Wednesday and new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has a lot on his plate entering his first season as the Wolverines' head coach. Whittingham is an established coach, being the head man at Utah for 21 seasons, even longer if you include his history as a defensive coordinator.

But Michigan is a new beast and Whittingham is ready for the challenge. The Wolverines made three College Football Playoffs in a row from 2021-2023 and Michigan is seeking its first berth in the new 12-team format.

For Michigan to get there, Whittingham has to make the right decisions and get his team in a place to succeed. The biggest? It starts in the trenches.

Finding his best five offensive linemen

During Michigan's stretch of greatness during the four-team College Football Playoff model, the Wolverines have one of the best offensive lines in the country. Michigan won two Joe Moore Awards in both 2021 and 2022, becoming the first program to win it back to back.

Entering 2026, Michigan has talent to choose from and new offensive line coach Jim Harding is as good as they come. And with the Wolverines' daunting schedule this season, Michigan needs its line to dominate up front.

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Entering fall camp, Jake Guarnera (center) and Andrew Sprague (right tackle) feel like the only two players who are locked into the starting lineup.

For the other three positions, Andrew Babalola is battling Blake Frazier at left tackle, and the likes of Evan Link, Nathan Efobi, Brady Nortn, and Avery Gach are battling for the guard spots — Frazier could as well if he loses the tackle spot to Babalola.

A dominant offensive line would shore up two areas for Michigan

If Whittingham and Michigan can play its best five offensive linemen and they turn out to form one of the best offensive lines in the nation, that will only help the Wolverines' run game, along with quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Under Jason Beck, his offenses have ranked No. 2 in the nation in terms of rushing yards per game in back to back seasons. While the Wolverines are going to spread things out this season, the run game will likely be Michigan's bread and butter with Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter.

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The running backs, and Underwood, will need lanes to run through. But Underwood also needs a clean pocket. A season ago, he was one of the most pressured quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and the true freshman began to have happy feet.

If the line can be dominant and give Underwood plenty of time, that will help the Michigan pass game, and allow the former five-star to continue his progression.