ANDREW STUEBER

The Michigan football team is ranked No. 6 in the preseason Coaches Poll after making its first College Football Playoff appearance last year.

Right tackle Andrew Stueber was selected in the seventh round (No. Versatility is largely what makes Stueber an intriguing NFL draft prospect. He played in 34 games at Michigan, including 20 starts at tackle and two at guard. “If you ask me where I feel most comfortable, I’d say I feel most comfortable at tackle right now,” Stueber said at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. RELATED: Michigan’s David Ojabo reunites with familiar faces in Baltimore: ‘It’s meant to be’Buy Wolverines gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, LidsBuy Wolverines tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, TicketmasterStream Wolverines games live: fuboTV, ESPN+, Sling

The 2022 NFL draft concludes on Saturday with Rounds 4 through 7. It starts at noon ET, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making the first pick of the fourth round and 106th pick overall. The draft started on Thursday night with the first round and continued Friday night with the second and third rounds. Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III was selected by Seattle Seahawks in the second round (pick 41). Michigan State fullback Connor Heyward and wide receiver Jalen Nailor could be drafted as well.

It’s NFL draft week, with the annual three-day event set to kickoff on Thursday night (8 p.m. It sure looks that way, but there’s intrigueESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said Michigan safety Dax Hill could be an option for the Eagles to take in April's NFL Draft. He’s beefy, he’s smart and he’s reliable, all the traits necessary to play at the next level. Of Michigan’s prospects this year, Stueber probably interviewed best — helping his case in a draft class populated by defensive ends and wideouts. He’s long, has good footwork and is a natural cover-corner, which should make him appealing at the NFL level.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — David Ojabo, a potential first-round pick in next month’s NFL draft, had to be helped off the field Friday with an undisclosed injury during Michigan’s pro day event. Ojabo reportedly injured his left leg during pass-coverage drills and to be helped off the field, according to NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadiha, who was on-site for the event. Ojabo wasn’t made available to reporters after the event, one last-ditch effort for Michigan’s NFL draft-eligible players to impress pro teams. More: David Ojabo, still humble as ever, flashes new persona at NFL combine“It was kind of tough to see what happened, just the angle I was at,” Michigan linebacker Josh Ross said. Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber was among those warming up on the sideline when Ojabo fell to the ground.

Haskins rushed for 1,327 yards on 270 carries during the 2021 season, averaging more than 94 yards per game, and earned first-team all-Big Ten honors. “Just prove to everybody that I can be that back in the NFL and I can play,” Haskins said. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Haskins says he has “big goals” this week, but declined to share them with reporters on Thursday. NFL teams prefer one“I feel like I’m a power back, but I got everything in the tool bag,” Haskins said. “He doesn’t speak a lot — but his energy’s there.”Haskins said he used to watch the NFL combine on TV, dreaming one day that he could be here.

He was called into duty twice in 2020 to start at right guard, the position he’s projected to play at the NFL level. “I think a good amount of teams see me at guard,” Stueber told reporters Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. More: Ravens’ growing Michigan pipeline an ‘interesting dynamic,’ GM saysFor the 6-foot-6, 327-pound Stueber, it becomes an interesting predicament. “If you ask me where I feel most comfortable, I’d say I feel most comfortable at tackle right now,” Stueber said. But I feel good playing guard as well.”In fact, Stueber spent most of Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala., lining up at guard — and even took a few snaps at center.

It’s one of the biggest and most important events of the NFL draft every year, and can help make or break a prospect’s stock. Highlights: Third-team all-Big Ten (2021); 21 starts at corner(*As of August 2021, via Michigan.) The redshirt junior never earned an invite from a post-season all-star game, forcing NFL scouts to rely on his game film. Highlights: Second-team All-American (AFCA, 2021); First-team all-Big Ten selection (coaches, 2021); 22 starts along offensive line(*As of February 2022, via the Senior Bowl.) Stueber enters combine week riding high as part of Michigan’s best-in-the-nation offensive line and a strong showing at the Senior Bowl.

Eight players from the University of Michigan have earned invites to the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis. It can be an exhausting week for players, but an important one that helps solidify or impact a player’s draft stock. He currently projects as a late-Day 1 or early-Day 2 pick, and his performance in Indianapolis could help sway NFL teams. Both players got plenty of experience at Michigan, and won a lot of games, which isn’t lost on NFL teams looking for plug-and-play special teams contributors. The only Michigan player to declare for the NFL draft and not receive a combine invite was receiver Daylen Baldwin, the transfer from Jackson State.

The college football season may be over, but pro-bound players are just starting to navigate the choppy waters that is NFL draft season. Everything culminates next Saturday, Feb. 5, with the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Michigan will have a player at each event (two at the Senior Bowl), and we have all the details below. ET Saturday, Jan. 29; Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif.TV: NFL NetworkGraduate linebacker Josh Ross will wear No. SENIOR BOWL+ 2:30 p.m. Both players will suit up for the National team, coached by Robert Saleh and the New York Jets’ staff.

Haskins made the decision to enter the NFL draft after a breakout season that saw him rush for 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns and earn first-team all-Big Ten honors. to Aidan Hutchinson, racking up 11 sacks and eight quarterback hurries in limited snaps, and could be a first-round pick in April’s NFL draft. and opted to declare for the NFL draft. Baldwin was hobbled for much of the 2021 season, limiting his impact and the play he was able to put on film after starring during Jackson State’s spring 2021 season. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com• Christopher Hinton — This was the biggest surprise of NFL draft declaration season, and one few of us saw coming.

The Big Ten announced revisions to the 2022 football schedule on Wednesday (Jan. 12) for all 14 teams in the conference, including two noticeable changes for the Michigan Wolverines.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As the deadly coronavirus continues to run roughshod in sports, postponing games and sidelining athletes, vigilance is high among the Michigan football team. School is out for the semester and many students have left for the holidays, leaving only essential staff and students. I think everyone understands the gravity of the situation.”More: Michigan football ‘locked in’ as preparation ramps up for Orange BowlWhile college football games have been largely unaffected so far, reports have surfaced this week of COVID-19 outbreaks within the Miami and Texas A&M football programs, potentially impacting their bowl preparations in the coming days. On Tuesday, Michigan’s men’s basketball team had a scheduled game against Purdue Fort Wayne canceled because an outbreak within the PFW program. “To kind of have an outbreak now would be devastating to a lot of people,” Stueber said.

With bowl season in full swing and the 2022 NFL Draft just four months away, those hard conversations are already starting to be made. Here’s an early look at who might leave after this year, and who might stay, with our confidence level (on a 1-10 scale) for departure. The fifth-year graduate student has used up all of his college eligibility (even with the additional COVID year) and will certainly declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Andrew Vastardis, a sixth-year graduate student and starting center, will likely give the NFL a shot after the 2021 season concludes. If he does, and it’s expected that he will, Haskins (who has until Jan. 17 to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft) has a good chance to be drafted.

Turns out, a winning Michigan football team is good for the TV networks. It remains the third most-watched regular-season college football game of the season. Well, for one, to show how big of a ratings boost Michigan football delivers the TV networks, especially when the team is good. LLOYD CARR: The Orange Bowl announced on Thursday that former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr will be inducted into the game’s Hall of Fame, a who’s who collection of past players and coaches. As the Orange Bowl notes, Carr, now 76, was the first Michigan coach to win four straight bowl games, a run that included a victory in the 2000 Orange Bowl.

A day after Aidan Hutchinson was named Big Ten defensive player of the year, two of his teammates on the other side of the ball were recognized for their standout play. Running back Hassan Haskins and offensive lineman Andrew Stueber were named first-team all-conference selections for the 2021 season, it was announced Wednesday. His 1,232 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns ranked second in the Big Ten behind Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, who was named running back of the year. Stroud won awards for Big Ten offensive player, quarterback and freshman of the year awards. Michigan offensive players to earn all-Big Ten honors:Hassan Haskins — first-team running back (media/coaches)Andrew Stueber — first-team offensive lineman (media)Ryan Hayes — second-team offensive lineman (coaches)Zak Zinter — second-team offensive lineman (media)Andrew Vastardis — second-team offensive lineman (media)Cade McNamara — third-team quarterback (coaches/media)Blake Corum — third-team running back (media)

Before Saturday’s showdown between Michigan and Ohio State, many college football pundits believed the Wolverines needed to play a near-perfect game to have a chance. Michigan totaled 487 yards of offense, and although it allowed 458 yards to OSU’s top-ranked offense, it held it to just three touchdowns. PFF grades every player on every play in multiple facets of the game, such as passing, rushing, receiving, pass blocking, run defense, etc. With that said, here are Michigan snap counts from Saturday’s win and key takeaways from PFF’s grades. Buy Wolverines gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, LidsBuy Wolverines tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, TicketmasterStream Wolverines games live: fuboTV, ESPN+, Sling

That argument is no more after Saturday’s 42-27 victory over Ohio State, ending a 10-year drought against the rivals to the south. They left an impressive mark on the public in a 56-7 shellacking of Michigan State, a team Harbaugh’s Wolverines had troubles with (and lost to) back in late October. More: ‘Felt like the beginning.’ Michigan celebrates first win over Ohio State in 10 years“They were well-prepared, very determined,” Harbaugh said. To see him finally beat Ohio State, as a team, as a unit, we all knew what this team was capable of. But for Harbaugh’s legacy at Michigan, long defined by his inability to win the “big” game, especially against Ohio State, it will do wonders.

Second-ranked Ohio State plays at No. 6 Michigan on Saturday with high stakes.

PFF grades every player on every play in multiple facets of the game, such as passing, rushing, receiving, pass blocking, run defense, etc. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from PFF’s grades of Michigan’s win over Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Michigan’s defense arguably had its best game of the year, holding Wisconsin to 210 yards and forcing seven three-and-outs. Hutchinson and Ojabo received the two highest grades on Michigan’s defense against Rutgers and replicated that against Wisconsin, earning a 90.2 and 89.9, respectively. Stueber was Michigan’s most experienced lineman heading into this season, and he has been playing like it through five games.

If it’s good enough for George Patton, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is here for it.

Jim Harbaugh seems to have his best running game in seven seasons at Michigan, rotating two speedy and powerful backs behind an offensive line that has been opening huge holes.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The scene outside Michigan Stadium reminds me of years past. Inside the stadium, Michigan’s football team has taken the field. There have been rumors about banged up players along the offensive line, which would explain why the coaching staff has remained so coy about starters. Zak Zinter was in uniform and present early on wit ha club on his right hand, leaving in doubt his eligibility. Look for Ojabo and Taylor Upshaw to split time there; Michigan is going to do everything it can to deploy Hutchinson.

Jim Harbaugh is thrilled and perhaps relieved to still be coaching at Michigan for a seventh season, a year after winning two games.

Ten players saw playing time as the coaching staff’s options became limited as the season went on. “I think what that did to a lot of people is realize you have to be able and you have to be ready to play at all times. I think now everyone takes meetings and being the second up, I think that’s a lot more serious role taken. Even though Clinkscale, who spent the previous five seasons at Kentucky, wasn’t at Michigan last season, he knows the importance of depth. I think in that aspect, I think everybody has the opportunity to show what they have.”Michigan College Football Season Kickoff Event: Kickoff the Michigan Football season with MLive’s football insiders Ryan Zuke, Aaron McMann, and Andrew Kahn.

While Mike Macdonald quipped last week that his new-look Michigan defense isn’t that difficult to figure out, he got some laughs from his players. A lot of unexpected stuff keeps happening that I’ve never seen before — that I’ve never seen our players do. More: Mike Macdonald wants Michigan defense to be a ‘living nightmare’ for opponentsAnd while some characteristics of Brown’s high-tempo, pressure-packed scheme still remain, things have changed. “I really like the way they’re playing,” Stueber continued. “They’re playing fast, they’re playing to the ball and they’re playing physical.

Daxton Hill arrived at Michigan in 2019 after a controversial recruiting pathway, one that saw the five-star safety abruptly decommit from Michigan and commit Alabama. “He just shows up by the ball,” Jim Harbaugh said of Hill in October 2019, following Hill’s first start. Michigan players voted him defensive rookie of the year after the season, setting the stage for what should have been a breakout year for Hill in 2020. “Really just having the mentality of ‘just beat your guy,’ really,” Hill said last November, explaining the struggles of Michigan’s defense. With Hill, Michigan has a future first team all-Big Ten defensive back.

Two years ago, as Michigan’s football team was primed to start fall camp, Ryan Hayes was just cracking the discussion among coaches. The converted offensive tackle from Traverse City had shown the physical traits to play at the Big Ten level, but he was still young. Now, as 2021 gets ready to pick up, the senior with three years of eligibility still remaining is considered a shoe-in to start along Michigan’s offensive line this fall. “There’s a difference.”More: Battle brewing for two starting spots along Michigan’s offensive lineHayes has put in the work, too. Now, with a new season looming, Hayes’ play will need to be more refined and ratcheted up a notch.

A healthy, vibrant and flexible Andrew Stueber will be key to unlocking Michigan’s talent, and depth, up front this fall. Where Michigan elects to play Stueber, a Darrien, Conn., native, may not be finalized until the summer. “Andrew can play both guard and tackle, or guard. Zak Zinter, really, could play tackle, guard or center. I came in as a tackle,” Stueber said in March.

Michigan’s football team closed spring practice with three starters determined along its offensive line. “There’s just a battle going on to get to the five best,” Harbaugh told host Jon Jansen. “Very good players,” Harbaugh said to describe all three. Zinter started four games at right guard in 2020, suggesting that might be his preferred spot. Michigan only lost one starter from its offensive line in 2020; right tackle Jalen Mayfield, who declared for the NFL draft.

Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh discussed the starting competition along Michigan football's offensive line.

The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, with Michigan continuing its streak of pro prospects. But let’s look ahead to 2022, Michigan’s top prospects at the moment and who might be eligible. Also of note, Hutchinson could be utilized a bit differently in Michigan’s new defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald. Whether that helps or hinders his production remains to be seen, but could be a good thing for his NFL draft prospects. But a high-ankle sprain in ’19 slowed him and the COVID-19 pandemic shortened Michigan’s season to just six games in 2020.

Michigan’s offensive line went through trials and tribulations last fall while trying to adjust to changes at quarterbacks and injuries up and down the front five. The latter meant more opportunities for younger players, such as true freshman Zak Zinter, who earned snaps in all six games. I think he’s going to be a big part of what they have next year.”Helping matters, Zinter says he’s healthy again, too. Whatever Michigan’s coaching staff decides, Zinter believes he’s ready to shoulder the responsibility of an every-game starter. “We were very young last year, so now that we’ve had a few games to jell together — we’ve had this spring practice to start working with each other — we’ve got high expectations for ourselves and the offensive line,” Zinter said.

Andrew Stueber, accustomed to juggling two different roles along the Michigan offensive line, is back at his preferred spot. It’s a position Stueber is most familiar with, having started 11 games at right tackle during the 2018 season. He’s said before that he prefers playing tackle over guard, though he’s willing to do both — and so far, first-year offensive line coach Sherrone Moore has obliged. Allen started 15 games at left tackle for Louisiana Tech in 2018 and 2019, earning all-Conference USA honorable mention. Mostly just to get more reps at it.”Michigan also returns Andrew Vastardis, who started four games at center last season.

It’s still early, and the quarterback competition at Michigan is far from decided. Yet two weeks into spring practice, junior Cade McNamara is making an impression on his teammates. It’s not like he hasn’t before — he beat out Joe Milton for the starting job last fall, at least temporarily, before the Wolverines’ season was upended by COVID-19 concerns. Obviously he played a little bit last season — but it’s different when you think you have the starting job. “Whether he won the job or didn’t have the job before, it was never anything new to me about Cade,” Bell said.

Defensive end Kwity Paye was a second-team all-conference selection by the media, while receiver Giles Jackson earned second (media) and third-team (coaches) honors as a return specialist. The Providence, R.I., native was a second-team all-Big Ten selection in 2019 and projects as a potential first-round NFL draft pick in 2021. He was a special teams honorable mention selection in 2019. Several other Michigan players earned honorable mention from both the coaches and media, including running back Hassan Haskins, defensive lineman Carlo Kemp, safety Daxton Hill and punter Brad Robbins. Offensive lineman Andrew Stueber earned honorable mention from the coaches, while safety Brad Hawkins received honorable mention from the media.

Andrew Stueber was in a battle last preseason for the final starting spot along the offensive line. But with the Wolverines losing four starters to the NFL draft, Stueber was expected to be a leader among an inexperienced group in 2020. Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner said Stueber has exceeded those expectations. He loves Michigan, he loves Michigan football, he’s competitive, he’s a leader, he did some things yesterday that really stood out to me as a leader with our team. “Karsen was the offensive line player of the game for us (against Rutgers).”Get Wolverine Confidential texts straight to your phone from our Michigan football writers.

There’s a chance that the Michigan football team gets two of its starting offensive linemen back this weekend against Penn State. “They’re both practicing, so we’re just seeing how quickly they can come back,” Warinner said. Both — or one — might be available Saturday.”More: Michigan QB Cade McNamara credits play call, key block for early sparkIn their absence, Michigan has started redshirt freshman Karsen Barnhart at left tackle, moved redshirt junior Andrew Stueber out to right tackle and started true freshman Zak Zinter at right guard. Stueber has experience at tackle, having played the position before he was sidelined with an ACL injury in 2019. He remains on the mend, which means redshirt freshman Zach Carpenter could be in line to make his second start against the winless Nittany Lions.

The injury list for Michigan’s football team continues to grow, and it is unclear when some players might return to action. The Wolverines were already with three starting offensive linemen as tackles Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes missed their third straight game. Center Andrew Vastardis also missed his first game because of injury as redshirt freshman Zach Carpenter started in his place. Redshirt freshman Taylor Upshaw and redshirt junior Luiji Vilain have primarily filled in at defensive end, while fifth-year defensive tackle Carlo Kemp also has moved to the outside on occasion. Since the injuries to Mayfield and Hayes, redshirt freshman Karsen Barnhart has started at tackle, while guard Andrew Stueber has moved to the other tackle spot.

Nonetheless, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis did his best to try establishing the run game early on. More: U-M players claim defensive woes are ‘simple fixes’While the offense found some success later in the game, it was because of the pass game. “The run game, we’ve got to make some improvements. All of those things contributed.”While true, one of the reasons Michigan’s offense had such a slow start was because of the run game. With a rotating cast of running backs and new-look offensive line, Michigan tried establishing a run game early on against the Hoosiers.

Andrew Vastardis' early years on the Michigan football team reflected that of a walk-on. "He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s worked his tail off. While Kemp rose faster on the depth chart, Vastardis' continued his upward trend to 2020, when he’s finally going to get his opportunity. “Especially on the field — whatever happens during a play, he’s going to make sure he finishes to the best of his ability. “We like to think of Andrew just like a Mack Truck, and he drives his Mack Truck to work every single day and pours his concrete,” Kemp said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football has to replace four offensive linemen from last season, and Jim Harbaugh revealed the new starting five during his Monday press conference. Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes will be the starting tackles, which is no surprise since both have prior starting experience. Stueber and Mayfield were in a battle for the starting right tackle spot last August before that injury, and now Stueber has moved inside. LATEST: Michigan vs. Michigan State will kick off at noon on HalloweenFormer walk-on O-lineman Andrew Vastardis will start at center as a fifth-year senior. “He has been the leader on the offensive line for several months, since the season ended, since last year ended,” Harbaugh said.

TRANSFER NEWS: Charles Thomas enters transfer portal as future linebacker room gets crowded“They have been through a lot,” Harbaugh said. I feel really good about them in terms of competitiveness, and oneness -- probably the most important thing. “A lot of really good leaders, a lot of guys who are really invested and a lot of guys who really like each other,” Harbaugh said. “(Nordin)'s in a real competitive battle with (Jake) Moody, who’s also doing a really good job, so it’s still playing out,” Harbaugh said. I feel the talent is really good, and I think they’ll all eventually see action, but those are really tight battles."

A year later, Stueber is healthy and eager to play again. “It’s something that I know that I’ve been waiting for, and I think all the offensive linemen — and defensive linemen — have been waiting for,” Stueber said on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show. The 6-foot-7, 339-pound Darien, Conn., native played 11 games at right tackle in 2018, even starting the last two games of the season. Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner, also appearing on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show this week, praised Stueber for not letting the long layoff affect him mentally. “Understanding what I like as a tackle, what I wanted from the guard for double-team blocks, for protection,” Stueber said.

With 20 players on the roster, Michigan’s offensive line is the largest position group on the team. For the offensive line, that means two separate meeting rooms. “I have divided up into two rooms the offensive line,” offensive line coach Ed Warinner said Monday on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show. But walkthroughs and simulations have been a regular part of the weekly schedule, exposing the offensive line to other groups of players, especially those on the defensive line. “Every player wears a mask on the offensive line,” Warinner said.

Even with Jalen Mayfield planning a return to Michigan, the football team’s offensive line has some work to do this fall. Among the group, Gattis singled out Andrew Vastardis, the fifth-year senior, as having taken over a leadership role. And offensive line coach Ed Warinner has praised the ability and ceiling of redshirt sophomore Ryan Hayes — who started two games for Jon Runyan last fall — at left tackle. “Obviously getting the great news that Jalen’s coming back (helps),” Gattis said, pointing to the honorable mention all-Big Ten selection’s desire to improve his play while helping bolster Michigan’s offensive line. But the offensive line is an all-or-nothing unit.

Andrew Stueber #71 of the Michigan Wolverines blocks against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan football lost a possible starting offensive lineman this week as right tackle Andrew Stueber suffered a leg injury, Ed Warinner said. BIG time accomplishment #ourworkisntdone pic.twitter.com/0C3f0WIWuM Ed Warinner (@4Warinner) November 29, 2018Stueber, now a redshirt sophomore, filled in as a starter last season when right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty went down with an injury. "We have a lot of good players developing behind Jon Runyan and Jalen Mayfield," Warinner said. Here is Coach Ed Warinner (@4Warinner) with Jon Jansen (@JonJansen77) on the loss of Andrew Stueber to injury.