Michigan OL Andrew Sprague on Outland Trophy Watch List — Is a Position Switch Coming?

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Fall camp has kicked off in Ann Arbor and Michigan football is on the horizon. With camp starting, one of the bigger talking points is Kyle Whittingham finding his best five offensive linemen.
Entering the fall, there were two players who were suspected to be cemented in the starting lineup. And that was center Jake Guarnera and right tackle Andrew Sprague. However, the latest watch list makes a position switch a possibility.
Sprague was recently nominated for the Outland Trophy watch list heading into 2026. Which is great, and it shows Sprague is a meaningful player for the Wolverines, but the Outland Trophy is for the nation's best interior linemen.
The offensive line could really shake up
During Big Ten Media Days, Kyle Whittingham spoke about the importance of finding his best five offensive linemen in fall camp. With a stout offensive line, it's going to not only help the run game continue to flourish, but allow Bryce Underwood to progress.
Underwood was under duress a lot last season, and that needs to change if Michigan is going to complete the goals it has.
There were three primary battles, we thought, entering fall camp. Left tackle and both guard spots.

Blake Frazier and Andrew Babalola were set to battle for the left tackle spot, while Evan Link, Nathan Efobi, Brady Norton, and Avery Gach were competing for the guard spot — with Frazier joining the battle if he lost out to Babalola.
"Blake [Frazier is] a talented enough kid that he can play in multiple positions," Whittingham said. "And so, like I said, the five best football players are the five guys that we got to find a way to get out there. And to answer your question, I believe he can do that."
Will Sprague move inside?
In his first full season starting for Michigan, the 6'8", 315 pound lineman started all 12 games for the Wolverines, earning All-Big Ten honors.
There were zero questions regarding Sprague's status at right tackle — until the Outland Trophy watch list. It's honestly still hard to believe Michigan would move Sprague inside after doing a good job at right tackle last season.

But it's also possible Jim Harding and Whittingham think both Andrew Babalola and Blake Frazier fit better at tackle and Sprague's skill set would be better utilized inside.
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck speaks to the media on Wednesday as fall camp began, and we hope to get more information on the offensive line and Sprague's status moving forward.

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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