- Position
- OL
- Number
- #53
- Pieces here
- 23
On the record
Called Shots →Michigan starts the same five offensive linemen, the same five men, in each of its first three games of the 2026 season: Western Michigan on September 5, Oklahoma on September 12 and UTEP on September 19.
The five offensive linemen listed as starters in Michigan's official Player Participation release for its September 26, 2026 game against Iowa are a different set of five men from all three sets Michigan has started so far in 2026 (Frazier-Link-Guarnera-Norton-Sprague, Frazier-Efobi-Guarnera-Norton-Sprague, and Link-Efobi-Guarnera-Norton-Frazier).
Jake Guarnera and Brady Norton both appear on Michigan's official participation list for the October 17, 2026 game against Penn State. Scored off the participation report in Michigan Athletics' official box score; both names must be listed.
Written about him
Penn State allowed six 20-yard runs in a night, and Michigan has one all season
Michigan (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) hosts Penn State (3-3, 0-3) at Michigan Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS. DraftKings has Michigan by 6.5 with a total of 42.5 at 8:13 a.m. Eastern, which splits to about Michigan 24.5, Penn State 18. Michigan has one run of 20 yards or more in five games, Bryce Underwood's 38-yard touchdown against Oklahoma; its running backs have 111 carries and a longest of 17. Penn State allowed six runs of 20 or more to Northwestern and none to Wisconsin or USC. Rocco Becht is 59 of 102 for 646 yards in three Big Ten games, 6.3 a throw, after 11.7 against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo. Penn State lists receiver Koby Howard Out; he has 344 receiving yards, all of them in non-conference games. Michigan lists Andrew Sprague and Ace Hamilton Out and Jake Guarnera, Brady Norton, Andrew Babalola, Dom Nichols and John Henry Daley Questionable. Prediction: Michigan 20, Penn State 13.
Three of Michigan's five starting linemen are on the Penn State injury report
Michigan's initial Big Ten availability report for Saturday's game against Penn State, filed Wednesday, October 14, lists 14 players, six of them offensive linemen. Jake Guarnera, who started at center at Minnesota, and Brady Norton, another Minnesota starter, are Questionable; Nathan Efobi, a third starter, is Probable. Evan Link and Blake Frazier are not listed. Andrew Sprague is Out, the first time Michigan has opened a week with him at Out rather than Questionable, and Ace Hamilton is Out. Andrew Babalola, Out on all eight of his earlier designations this season, is Questionable. Manuel Beigel, Out on game day at Minnesota, is off the report, which makes him Available under the conference rule. In Michigan's two earlier conference weeks, ten Wednesday Questionable designations ended with three Outs on game day, all three of them offensive linemen; the six non-linemen all finished Available and the fourth lineman, Houston Ka'aha'aina-Torres, was a Game Time Decision who played. One take filed.
Michigan Would Not Name Its Two Starting Guards Because Three Seniors Are Going To Split The Job
Michigan's offensive coordinator held his final press conference before the opener on Wednesday afternoon and was asked the question that has followed this offensive line since camp opened. Jason Beck answered it with a number rather than a name. Evan Link, Nathan Efobi and Brady Norton will all play at the two guard spots, at what Beck called fairly similar snaps, and Clayton Sayfie of On3 reported that the rotation may hold for more than one game. The three tackles-and-center jobs are settled: Blake Frazier on the left, Jake Guarnera at center, Andrew Sprague on the right, the last of those hardened by Andrew Babalola's injury. Michigan's own roster still lists nineteen men as OL and nothing else, while it breaks the defensive line into ends and tackles, and on Wednesday the defensive coordinator named starters at both.
Jim Harding Moved Two Tackles To Guard And Put A Date On The Rest
Andrew Sprague at right tackle and Jake Guarnera at center are effectively settled. The other three spots are open, and two of the men competing for them played tackle last season and are taking guard reps now. Harding wants the five solidified about two weeks before Western Michigan, which is a checkable date on a checkable thing.