Report: Michigan OT Andrew Babalola suffers potential season-ending injury

Michigan Wolverines freshman offensive tackle Andrew Babalola has suffered a knee injury that is feared to potentially keep him out for the 2025 football season, first reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. He had been in the mix for the starting left tackle spot in fall camp.

Babalola, who stands at 6-6, 315 pounds as a first-year tackle, comes from a basketball background and has impressed Michigan with his athleticism and smarts thus far. He was a five-star prospect and the No. 16 overall player in the 2025 class. Babalola enrolled in January and got reps with the first team in both spring practices and fall camp.

Head coach Sherrone Moore said last week that Babalola was still in the mix for the starting left tackle job.

“ [Babalola], we’ve talked about him,” Moore said. “He’s gonna push for the starting left tackle spot, and that’s a day-to-day competition with Evan. Evan has played tremendously better and his confidence is where you need it to be. Those two are pushing and Blake Frazier’s in that mix, but we’re moving him around too. It’s gonna be cool to see how that group rolls… we’ve got guys moving all around. I love that when that happens.”

Junior Evan Link, who reports out of camp have suggested was the favorite for the job, will be relied upon now with sophomore Blake Frazier serving as a reserve.

“Link and Babs are doing a really good job,” El-Hadi told reporters during a media session in fall camp. “Link and I played on the right side and now we’re both on the left side, and it just feels very natural there. And Babs is amazing. He’s a really good freshman. So smart, I was not that smart when I was a freshman, I’ll tell you guys that right now. It took me a lot longer to learn the playbook, and he already knows it. Just with the natural abilities he has, he’s going to be a superstar.”

Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome weighed in on Link’s development during a recent press conference.

“Link’s been there, played well in the bowl game, and he’s done a great job of elevating his play,” Newsome said. “We really challenged him to take that next step, to go from a guy who’s feeling his way through his first season, getting used to it, to go be the tackle he’s capable of being. I’ve been really impressed with the steps he’s taken this offseason to do that. He’s having a really good camp.

“Andrew Babalola is competing there as well. Blake Frazier has gotten himself back healthy, and he’s done a remarkable job—for a guy who was out for spring—of getting himself back in the mix there.”