Tag: Andrew Sprague

2026 Season Countdown: #11 Andrew Sprague

Name: Andrew Sprague
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #54
Last year: I ranked Sprague #11 and said he would be the starting right tackle. He started twelve games at right tackle.
TTB Rating: 89

Sprague was one of those somewhat rare true freshman offensive linemen who starts to get some buzz during his freshman year. It only turned into four appearances – including a start in the short-handed bowl game against Alabama – but it was noteworthy. So going into the 2025 season, it seemed pretty clear that he would play a role in the starting five. When he came out of high school, I thought he could end up as a left tackle in college, but so far he has stuck on the right side. He started twelve games last fall and was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.

This past off-season, Sprague jumped into the transfer portal and seemed as good as gone, perhaps to a place like Texas. But with Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham and bringing in standout offensive line coach Jim Harding – who produced two first round offensive tackles in the NFL draft this spring – Sprague decided to stay. The Wolverines have a very young offense and Sprague is actually the most veteran offensive lineman, having started thirteen games now at the FBS level. He was inconsistent at times last season, but he should be one year better this fall for a team that will be offensive line-dependent with a heavy dose of the running game. If Michigan is able to ground and pound like they want to do, Sprague should get some looks as an All-Big Ten performer.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

2025 Season Countdown: #11 Andrew Sprague

Name: Andrew Sprague
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 315 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #54
Last year: I ranked Sprague #79 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He played in four games, including one start.
TTB Rating: 89

It’s not often that any player, let alone a redshirt freshman, shoots up from #79 one year to #11 the next, but that’s the case for Sprague.

And it was kind of the case for Sprague during the season last year, too.

In some ways, Michigan seemed super deep at offensive tackle in 2024 with upperclassman who just couldn’t get on the field, like Jeff Persi (now at Pitt) and Andrew Gentry (now at BYU). Those two were boxed out by Myles Hinton and then redshirt freshman Evan Link. Unfortunately, most of Michigan’s line played poorly in 2024. And by the time the bowl game rolled around, Hinton opted out to prepare for the draft and in stepped Sprague, then a true freshman.

Going into the 2025 season, there’s been some chatter that Sprague might be Michigan’s best lineman right now, and his right tackle starting spot seemed to have been solidified by the spring, if not before. Sprague hasn’t been in a position battle like Link at left tackle or Brady Norton at right guard. He’s been The Man, even though he’s played fewer college snaps than any of the other projected starters.

It’s still awkward to think of #54 starting at right tackle, because I’m used to the tackles at Michigan sporting numbers in the 70s. But unless he has a change of heart to want to be the next great #77 like Jake Long or Jon Jansen or Taylor Lewan, I’m going to have to get used to it. If Michigan’s offense makes a big leap this season, we’re probably going to see a lot of highlights of the 6’8″ #54 caving down his side of the line.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

2025 Spring Football Preview: Offensive Line

RETURNING PLAYERS: Greg Crippen (RS Sr.), Giovanni El-Hadi (RS Sr.), Connor Jones (RS Jr.), Brooks Bahr (RS So.), Nathan Efobi (RS So.), Evan Link (RS So.), Blake Frazier (RS Fr.), Jake Guarnera (RS Fr.), Luke Hamilton (RS Fr.), Ben Roebuck (RS Fr.), Andrew Sprague (RS Fr.)
NEWCOMERS: Lawrence Hattar (RS Sr.), Brady Norton (RS So.), Andrew Babalola (Fr.), Kaden Strayhorn (Fr.)
DEPARTURES: Raheem Anderson (transfer to Western Michigan), Tristan Bounds (transfer to Arizona), Andrew Gentry (transfer to BYU), Dominick Giudice (transfer to Missouri), Myles Hinton (NFL Draft), Jeffrey Persi (transfer to Pitt), Josh Priebe (NFL Draft)

OUTLOOK: Michigan really struggled up front in 2024, the first year under new offensive line coach Grant Newsome. They did seem to make some progress late in the year, but it was too late to salvage anything but a couple surprise victories against Ohio State and Alabama. The top performer up front was Myles Hinton, a mammoth Stanford transfer. Transfer left guard Josh Priebe struggled at times, and from the center to the right tackle was a travesty for much of the year. Greg Crippen and Dominick Giudice played hot potato with the reins of the center position for the entire year, Giovanni El-Hadi performed disappointingly at right guard, and redshirt freshman Evan Link posted multiple PFF grades of 0.0 in pass protection.

There has been a lot of turnover on the offensive line, with seven players either moving on to the NFL (Hinton, Priebe) or transferring. Giudice, Andrew Gentry, and Jeffrey Persi all had significant starting or playing experience, and all three decided to play elsewhere, leaving somewhat of a void in the remaining offensive line.

The bowl game against Alabama featured Link at left tackle and freshman Andrew Sprague at right tackle, and that may be the configuration we see to begin the spring. Link looked more comfortable on the left side, and Sprague showed some promise at right tackle, especially from an attitude perspective. Add in an off-season of strength and conditioning, and Sprague should be ready to roll.

As for new faces for 2025, Ferris State transfer Lawrence Hattar could possibly be penciled in to start at guard; he’s a fifth year player with lots of starting experience at the Division II level. Andrew Babalola is a 5-star prospect who’s big enough and athletic enough to compete for playing time at one of the tackle positions. Junior college transfer Brady Norton has potential down the road, but he’s probably a developmental guy at this point.

A couple other players who have been rumored to be in contention for playing time are redshirt junior Connor Jones and redshirt sophomore Nathan Efobi. Redshirt freshman Blake Frazier has been mentioned as having potential if he can get/stay healthy, and redshirt freshman Ben Roebuck had college-ready size when he arrived in 2024. All of those players are huge question marks since we haven’t really seen them on the field except during spring games.

Overall, the offensive line is a group with a lot of individual talent, but very little cohesion from playing together. Center Greg Crippen and offensive guard Giovanni El-Hadi have spent lots of time together as two fifth year seniors, but the rest of the players are either young or new to the system. It’s probably a pipe dream to hope for a return to the Joe Moore Award-level play we saw in 2021 and 2022, but it’s going to be very disappointing if Michigan can’t perform better in the trenches than they did in 2024.

Michigan 19, Alabama 13

Surprise, surprise, surprise! For the second game in a row, almost nobody gave Michigan a chance to win. And for the second game in a row, almost everybody was wrong. The mighty Alabama Crimson Tide, who almost made the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 record, fell to 9-4. And when all is said and done, on paper that’s not far from where Michigan finished at 8-5. Alabama had lost some players to the transfer portal, but Michigan was missing ten starters (Myles Hinton, Colston Loveland, Kalel Mullings, Tyler Morris, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson, Makari Paige, Tommy Doman) and the guy who was on the cover of NCAA ’25 (Donovan Edwards) and still won the game.

Hit the jump for more.

2024 Season Countdown: #79 Andrew Sprague

Name: Andrew Sprague
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 295 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Sprague was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup on defense.
TTB Rating: 89

I wrote a scouting report on Sprague (LINK) that probably has more relevant information than the commitment post linked above, but Sprague is a high-level tackle prospect whom the Michigan coaches seem particularly excited to get on the field. A giant human at 6’8″, he still has to put on some weight, but it’s probably a good thing he hasn’t been carrying around 320 pounds his entire high school career; being lighter helped him play basketball and probably added some time to his career if he develops into an NFL-level type of player. In that scouting report, I mentioned that Sprague had a lot of technical work to do based on his junior film . . . and I think he got noticeably better as a senior.

The sheer depth of Michigan’s offensive line should prevent Sprague from being needed immediately in 2024, and with three guys – Myles Hinton, Jeff Persi, Andrew Gentry – having a legitimate shot at starting, the Wolverines shouldn’t need him to make an immediate impact like Brady Hoke needed Mason Cole to do back in 2014. It may be a good idea to get Sprague some snaps to prepare him for 2025, because both Hinton and Persi won’t be returning next year. I think Sprague will be starting for Michigan by year three at least, but this should be a developmental season.