Look Ahead: Will Michigan Be Better At Offensive Line in 2020?

With Michigan football on a bye this week, we're having a little fun, looking ahead to the 2020 season and asking whether the Wolverines will be better, worse or the same at each position. Along the offensive line, U-M will lose three starters. But a step back is not a guarantee.

Michigan's current offensive line is one of the most experienced in college football, fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan Jr., has made 22 starts (including 19 at LT), senior left guard Ben Bredenson has 42 starts (all at left guard), junior center Cesar Ruiz has made 25 starts (20 at center), senior Michael Onwenu has 31 starts at right guard and the newcomer to the bunch, redshirt freshman Jalen Mayfield, has now started nine games at right tackle. 

All total: 129 career starts between the five. And 95 will be walking out the door after this season. 

It's no wonder fans are concerned about the future at the position, as 38 percent of more than 450 votes think U-M will take a step back in 2020.  

Are they right? Certainly losing three starters is a lot to overcome, but it doesn't have to be a death knell for the Maize and Blue. 

Here's the good news - redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes filled in for an injured Runyan, starting the first two games of the season at left tackle. He has appeared in seven of the nine games overall, including the past two against Notre Dame and Maryland. 

While Runyan has been one of Michigan's best OL the past two years, Hayes represents a more natural tackle than Runyan, a better athlete with quicker feet, a larger frame (6-7) and longer arms. That doesn't always translate to success, but Hayes, who wasn't supposed to see the field until 2020 as he continued his transition from high school tight end to offensive tackle, graded out extremely well in those two September starts. 

Even if Hayes is a suitable replacement for Runyan, Michigan has to replace both offensive guards and there are no proven heirs. What the Wolverines do have, however, are a pair of intriguing possibilities. 

One is junior Andrew Steuber (who is redshirting this year after suffering a season-ending injury in August). The 6-7, 334,-pound Steuber started two games in 2018 (and has appeared in 11 total during his career) at right tackle and was competing with Mayfield in the preseason, rumored to be the favorite when he suffered his injury. 

Steuber has never played guard, but our own Brandon Brown, who used to cover U-M football recruiting, believes Steuber has the versatility to move inside. 

The other experienced Wolverine is senior Stephen Spanellis, who could return for a fifth year as a golden opportunity arises to start. Spanellis is capable of playing either guard position or center - he has appeared as a reserve offensive lineman five times at left guard, five times at center and once at right guard during his career. 

There is also a talented six-man class of linemen redshirting this year and a four-man class set to sign this December (for 2020 enrollment). 

Still, Runyan, Bredeson and Onwenu not only have experience but have been standouts at their positions, and if Ruiz declares early for the NFL Draft (most insiders say that is unlikely), U-M would almost be starting from scratch next fall. As it looks now, with Ruiz expected back, Michigan has a better chance to reload along the offensive line than at any point in the last decade.