52 days until Michigan football: Karsen Barnhart is an underrated piece
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan football’s offensive line projects to once again be among the best in college football. The Wolverines have shaped their line via some new pieces in the transfer portal, but one of the most underrated players in the trenches is already in town.
Graduate Karsen Barnhart should be a factor in multiple positions as Michigan looks to find its best five up front and go from there. He has appeared in 28 career games with 16 starts in three different spots – six at left tackle, two at left guard and eight at right tackle. He should factor into the left and right tackle battles with LaDarius Henderson and Trente Jones.
Michigan’s offensive line depth is an asset heading into the new season. It should go a long way in determining the five best players to lead the trench attack on offense.
“Everybody wants to get better and it just brings so much depth,” Barnhart said this spring. “The past two seasons you’ve seen it. There’s been not just five guys that start and the whole season, there are seven, eight guys playing and we got depth with like 10, 12 guys that all play and start in big-time places. They’re all here because everybody wants to get better. Everybody wants to play for the M.”
Barnhart feels as comfortable as he ever has at Michigan, but is still cross-training on both sides of the offensive line.
“I’m playing both sides right now and just getting comfortable playing both sides,” he said. “I’ve played everywhere, but like you played one side for so long and then you get uncomfortable going back to the other side after playing for so long. But just playing both sides. And there’s a lot of guys that are playing really well right now, like [junior center] Greg Crippen, he’s coming up. He’s doing some good things right now.”
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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