Everything Michigan OL coach Grant Newsome said during his pre-Purdue press conference

On Blake Frazier’s play on Saturday

I’m really proud of him and how he’s coming and stepped up. Sometimes, with all three of those guys, you forget they’re redshirt freshmen sometimes, which is a good thing. But sometimes, as a coach, you have to remind yourself, hey, shoot, he hasn’t seen that before. He hasn’t played four years of football where he’s seen that look before or knows how to adjust to that on the fly. But I’m proud of him and how he went in. He wasn’t perfect, obviously, but he’s out there and he’s fighting. He’s getting better every week.

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On whether his working with the run game is a new development

It’s the same as it always is, right? It’s just a team. We all have input, and Chip’s the one who has to put it all together and package it together and then obviously call the plays. He does an incredible job of that. He’s also great about asking for a suggestion or, hey, what do you like here, and what are you seeing from how the line’s blocking it. It’s just a complete team effort from all of us on the offensive staff.

On the excitement for the future with three redshirt freshmen as starters

Obviously, you never want to have injuries and probably wouldn’t have gone into the season thinking this would be our fifth or whatever it is, starting combination in eight games. It’s obviously not what you hope for, but it’s what you have to prepare for.

It’s something that Coach Moore has always maintained, that you’ve got to have ten guys ready, and I think we’ve started eight or nine of them. So it shows the depth we have in our room, and it’s a credit to those young guys like Blake, who, even when he was not the starter, was still preparing as if he was and was just kind of waiting for his opportunity, whether that came from injury or whether that came from beating someone out and earning a job. So it’s a credit to those guys and the ownership they’ve taken.

On why it’s difficult for younger OL to see the field and what it takes for one to see playing time

I think it’s a couple of different things. One, the obvious one, is physical. Physically, the closer you get to the ball, the stronger the guys get, the bigger the guys get. The more years of being in a college weight room shows up and takes effect, and any guy who’s played as a young lineman can tell you that. You go from high school, you were probably one of the strongest guys or the strongest guy that you were ever going to play, to now you’re going against a 22, 23, even 24-year-old grown-ass man who’s strong and is big and has played college football for a long time.

So that’s definitely the first thing that shows up. Obviously, everyone’s more athletic, faster than kind of what you’re used to in high school as well. But the thing I think that may be less obvious is the mental piece of it and how much mentally there is playing offensive line, especially in a system like ours, where we run a bunch of different schemes, and you have to be prepared for different looks.

Obviously, now with defenses moving a bunch and pressuring a whole bunch of different ways, there’s a lot of adjustments, a lot of — whether that’s pre-snap or post-snap reactions to what the look may be. And like I mentioned earlier with Blake, a lot of that is, yes, we can coach it, but a lot of it you have to experience for the first time, or shoot, oh, hey, I remember I got that look a year ago, now I won’t make that mistake again. Or now I’ve seen that happen in-game, even if it’s not something we prepared for this particular week. So proud of those guys and how they’ve attacked it and how they’ve gotten themselves ready to step in.

On Jalen Hoffman’s transition to fullback and emulating Max Bredeson

It’s a credit to the tight ends, first and foremost, and the fullbacks. Same thing we talked about the offensive line, how they’ve tapped their preparation. And, I mean, those guys are tone setters on the team. I know Coach Casula does an excellent job with those guys, not just in the throw game, but also in the run game. I would put those tight ends, fullbacks, against any group in the country in terms of how they’re prepared by Coach Casula and then how they execute in-game and the physicality they bring. I mean, we watched a couple of times where Max Bredesen’s putting a guy on his back five yards downfield in that game.

And when you have that on your team, not just from the offensive line, but you have a group of tight ends and fullbacks who play like that and play with that violence and that physicality, I think it sets the tone for an offense.

On the run blocking vs. pass blocking through 8 games

I think the biggest thing in both is just consistency. That’s the thing that we challenge our guys with. You can’t have the, you know, you’re not going to win every single block. No lineman ever does. But it can’t be the really, really good and then the really, really bad. And you look at the games that we have struggled as an offense and struggled as an offensive line, it’s because there’s been the home runs, but then the negative plays.

Whereas if you can have that general upward trajectory, you’re going to like where you are at the end of the game. And I think that was Michigan State, outside of the issue with the snap and two or three plays. We didn’t have the massive TFLs.

On the adjustments you make as a coach with three redshirt offensive linemen as starters

You got to make sure you’re not doing too much. But again, I credit those guys. It hasn’t had to be like we have had to go back to square one, or, hey, can this guy handle this? Those guys are all — they work their tails off. They’re smart. And they’ve prepared for it. Obviously, Sprague got a little taste of playing last year, but Jake and Blake have prepared mentally, physically, the whole offseason, as if they were going to be the guy the whole year.

It’s a credit to them that we haven’t had to dumb down the offense or really kind of guard against, hey, I don’t know if we can do that this week because it’s Blake, not Evan. So just big credit to those guys, proud of those guys.

On what impressed him about the players during the redshirt year

So, again, it’s something that Coach Moore preaches on and harps on, is that it becomes that point where you’re not a freshman anymore. Even if you’re a redshirt or a guy who’s redshirting, once you get through spring ball, you get through fall camp, you get a couple games in, even if you’re not playing, even if you’re still on the scout team. You sit in the same meetings as everyone else, eat the same food, you get the same training environment, you get the same resources.

So at a certain point, you’ve got to take that step where it’s not just, oh, I’m a freshman or, oh, he’s a young guy. You’ve got to have that initiative, and all three of those guys had that last year, and it’s carried over, and I’m happy to see it.

On the value of having versatility on the OL

So it’s never an ideal scenario to have kind of what was your top two left tackles going into the year, both be down right now, or two or three with Blake still healthy. But that’s part of the reason why we were so excited to get Brady in the portal was because we knew he had that versatility starting multiple years out at left tackle, even though he’s, we think, more of a long-term, and then NFL-wise, he’s an interior guy.

So, yeah, he’s been working back out there to just get him those reps again. But, again, I have complete confidence in him, especially because he’s done it for multiple years. And then, like we said, he’s starting to get some of the other guys ready, whether it’s an older guy like Connor Jones or, Ty Haywood, continue to progress him along and get him to the place where we can feel confident with him being in a game. So, no, that’s our job as coaches. It’s my job as the offensive line coach is to continue to get those guys ready so that, you know, God forbid we have to go farther down the line at tackle, then there won’t be a drastic drop-off.

On the pass protection against MSU

Obviously, the biggest one that stood out was, Blake got beat once on the third down. Bryce was able to get out of it. But I think overall it was solid. Like I said, it’s never going to be perfect. And I don’t want to speak for anyone, but I don’t think that running the football was a, oh, hey, we can’t protect, nor was it a, oh, hey, Bryce can’t do it. None of that.

It was just that kind of game. And it feels like every year we have one, two, or three of those where it turns into that kind of game where, hey, we’re moving the ball on the ground, the defense is playing phenomenal, you know, hey, that’s what it’s going to take to win. And the cool thing to compliment, you know, obviously our guys love running the football, but the rest of the offense, the tight ends, the receivers, Bryce, it became that kind of game.

Coach Lindsey kind of said, hey, we’re still going to be able to throw the ball. But it’s become that kind of game where the defense is playing really well, and we feel like we’re moving them up front. And there was no, you know, like, oh, what are we doing? Or no complaining on the sideline. Everyone was like, whatever it takes to win. And it became that kind of game. But, no, I still have complete confidence in our ability to protect the quarterback.

On Frazier missing time during fall camp

Yeah, it was just, you know, he’s battling through some different things. But just extremely proud of him and how he attacked that. He’s had camp and now the season to kind of really roll, and it’s showing up.

On whether he uses his experience as a young starter on the OL for his players

It’s an adjustment as, you know, I experienced, as Jon standing back there can speak to. You know, starting early in this conference is difficult. And, again, it’s the good and the bad. Those guys are playing like older guys. So sometimes you have to remind yourself that, it’s just they’re — for Frazier it’s just going to be his second game starting here this weekend.

For Jake, he’s still three or four or whatever game’s in. Even a guy like Sprague, because he started the bowl game last year. And sometimes I find myself like thinking if I’m like a vet or a friend who was a vet and he started eight games in his career or nine games, whatever it is now. So it’s definitely an adjustment. And obviously, you’re playing in a premier conference with talented edge rushers. But to brag on our defense, the great thing for us is those guys have gotten reps last year, this year against edges who are as talented or more talented than anyone we’ll see this year.

So that doesn’t mean they’ll be perfect. But when you get those reps in practice against the edges, comboing against really talented and strong defensive tackles, I think it prepares you for the game. You can never — practice can never perfectly imitate the game and the emotions and everything that goes into that. But having a great defense gives you the best shot.

On what the number 77 means to him

Obviously, it’s an honor to wear that number. And there’s a long history behind that. And it’s a point of pride for sure. I know Blake, it means a lot to Blake, and he understands the tradition and the history behind that number. Certainly not myself, but you go back and all the various guys who have worn that and have been immensely successful both here and in the NFL, it means a lot to him. Just like truthfully playing offensive line does, period.

You’ve got the O-line you display behind us, but no, you, you, you go back through the legends who have played here, with Jon being one of them. No, we talk about it that every time you step on the practice field, every time you play a game, you’re representing all of those guys. And no, if you’re not finishing, if you’re not playing physical, if you’re not chasing the running back, it’s not just a reflection on you. It’s a reflection on all of those guys who have worn that jersey and played offensive line at the University of Michigan before you. So it’s, it’s an incredible standard, both the wearing 77, but also the offensive line in general. And I think it’s a good — there are guys who embrace that opportunity. to live up to it.

On the best player to ever wear No. 77 at Michigan

Oh, I’m going to cop out and respectfully say, definitely not myself. Those are fighting words there, but it speaks to the talent (in the offensive line room). It’s such a hard decision, but I mean, it’s tough.

On whether anything changes with timing when running an RPO

It’s always a fine line because you want to make it look the exact same. Obviously there’s some times where you live on that edge a little too much and you get called for a man down field, but that’s kind of the, I don’t want to say the cost of doing business. So we have certain adjustments, and our guys are aware when it’s an RPO, when it’s not. But at the same time, the last thing we want to do both myself, Coach Lindsey, Coach Moore is take the aggressiveness out of them. So it’s something we’ve done more of this year, and I think it’s been great for our offense because it prevents you from running into bad boxes.

On whether young offensive linemen are more adept at pass or run blocking

I think it depends guy to guy. A guy like Blake, who’s incredibly athletic, has excellent feet, naturally a bit more adept in pass protection than maybe like Link was early in his career. Whereas Evan, a little bit bigger body guy, a little bit thicker lower half, that came a little bit easier to him early in his career. So I think I don’t want to make a generalization, say one versus the other. I think it just depends guy to guy, and our job as coaches. I use my job as the offensive line coach to make sure we push them in both those areas.

On working on the mentality side of things with an injured Andrew Babalola

The great thing, he’s just incredibly smart. I mean, he may be the smartest player we have in the building. That’s not an insult to anyone else we have on the team. We have a bunch of smart guys, but he’s incredibly, incredibly smart. But it’s also a credit to him for how he stayed engaged mentally. It’s very easy, especially when you’re a freshman and you’re pushing the play. And all of a sudden, you have a season-ending injury to kind of go in the tank and become disinterested. And he’s been the exact opposite.

He’s attacking rehab. He’s going to class still, which it’s sometimes even tough to do when you’re injured, but he’s making that effort. And then he’s in our meetings, he’s asking questions, he’s staying engaged. He’s coming up and watching extra film. So it’s a credit to him that he’s had the right mindset you want to say, but sometimes the hard mindset, especially when you’re, you know, an 18 year old kid and you go through kind of the highest of highs and you are on the track to play early in your career to feeling like the lowest of lows where all of a sudden that’s been taken away from you temporarily.

On how much of a push Babalola was making to play during camp

He was playing really well. He was playing really well. We were very confident with where Evan was, where he was, where Blake was. I’m excited for him to continue to work and get back to where he was, and be able to push to play next year.

On whether he expects Jake Guarnera to be the center of the future or does his play at guard change those plams

It’s something you think about, not just week to week, but in the big picture, in the off-season and it all comes down to how can we get our best five in the field. So whether that’s him at center, whether that’s him at guard, it’s something that we’ll look up after the season. Something we’re still working him at, obviously, God forbid something happened to Crippen where he still has that ability to go play center. If that’s how we feel like we get to our best five, if something happens to 51.

So it’s always a balance. You don’t want to overload guys, but again, it’s a credit to Jake that as a redshirt freshman, and we feel like he can handle both all the responsibilities and the protection calls and the IDs that come with being center while also being able to handle the guard. The great thing about being center is, especially in our offense, you’re the quarterback of the offensive line. You set the protections, you make the run IDs, you got to know the game plan as well or better than any other offensive lineman. So I think that makes it easier playing guard because you already know all the calls, the responsibilities versus taking maybe a tackle who, even though he still knows it, he’s not as familiar with being on the inside, and all of a sudden now him having to play center.

On Babalola’s rehab progress

I’m not a doctor. I can’t touch on the specifics, but just the, I’ll say the intensity I see him attacking it with and his mindset. I mean, shoot, it feels like every time I walk by the training room, if he’s not in class, he’s down there getting work, and he’s attacking it. And again, just immensely proud of him. Cause, I mean, if I speak for myself, when I got hurt as a sophomore, my mindset was not always that.

It’s very easy to kind of go in the tank and have a pity party for yourself. It’s such a long process. And the thing I encouraged him is don’t fall in that trap, just set small goals for yourself, and hey, how am I going to win today in rehab? And he’s done that. Immensely proud of him and excited for him to get back.