Tag: Ben Braden

Michigan 41, Illinois 8

Karan Higdon (image via Atlantic Broadband)

Michigan shakes up the offensive line. After the injury to left tackle Grant Newsome a few weeks ago, Michigan has been searching for some consistency on the left side. Redshirt sophomore Juwann Bushell-Beatty was the first player to draw into the lineup in Newsome’s spot. I know some people said he was doing fine, but I saw a guy who was struggling with his assignments. This week the Wolverines started fifth year senior Ben Braden at left tackle and true freshman Ben Bredeson at left guard, which I think is a superior lineup. I said since he committed (LINK) that I think Bushell-Beatty can play left tackle down the road if he manages his body properly, but I also thought he would be a guy to potentially start late in his career, not necessarily as a redshirt sophomore. There are still some things to work on for the future. Meanwhile, I thought the line had a decent day outside of right guard Kyle Kalis, who I think probably played his worst game of the season.

Hit the jump for more in the win vs. Illinois.

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2016 Season Countdown: #13 Ben Braden

Ben Braden (image via Michigan Daily)

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 335 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #17 and said he would be the starting right guard (LINK). He started thirteen games at left guard.

Going into the 2015 season, Braden was making a pretty big transition. At 6’6″ (and sometimes listed at 6’7″), he seemed a little tall for an offensive guard, and he had started at right tackle during the 2014 season. Brady Hoke had tried him at guard in the spring of 2014, but he was back to tackle by that fall. Jim Harbaugh committed to the left guard thing, and Braden was good enough to be named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. He wasn’t as dominant as you would hope for somebody who’s 330+ pounds and was winning sprints for his position group, but the offensive playcalling favored running behind Braden and then tackle Mason Cole on the left side.

Braden should be back at left guard for the second season in a row, and I expect him to make at least an incremental improvement. He will need to be a little better because he will most likely have a first-time starter on his left, since Cole has moved to center. Whether it’s sophomore Grant Newsome or freshman Ben Bredeson at left tackle, it’s important for a team with a right-handed QB like Michigan to have a solid left side of the line, not only to protect the QB’s blind side, but to set up a convincing play action. I think Braden has a chance at being All-Big Ten this fall, since he should be a three-year starter at season’s end and Michigan should be a top-tier team in the Big Ten.

Prediction: Starting left guard

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Spring Football Preview: Offensive Line

Mason Cole

Projected starters: LT Grant Newsome (So.), LG Ben Braden (RS Sr.), C Mason Cole (Jr.), RG Kyle Kalis (RS Sr.), RT Erik Magnuson (RS Sr.). Newsome was the sixth lineman by the end of the season. Jim Harbaugh said recently that Cole would start getting snaps at center as soon as spring practices starts, those two developments seem to be related. Braden, Kalis, and Magnuson all started at those respective positions for the entirety of 2015.

Hit the jump for the rest of the offensive line preview.

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Michigan 35, Oregon State 7

De’Veon Smith

Oregon State is bad. This was the first thing that stuck out to me after watching the full game. I hate to burst the bubble of anyone hoping that Michigan improved greatly from week one to week two, but I’m not sure that this game is evidence of a ton of Michigan improvement. Oregon State had two bad snaps on punts, dropped a kickoff, consistently allowed Michigan’s defensive line to get penetration, and couldn’t bring down De’Veon Smith, who other teams haven’t struggled that much with in his first two-plus seasons. The Beavers also didn’t have a dangerous passing game, even after top cornerback Jourdan Lewis left the game early with what looked like a possible concussion. I like Gary Andersen as a coach, but he has a young team with lots of holes right now.

Hit the jump for some more thoughts on Michigan’s win over Oregon State.

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2015 Season Countdown: #17 Ben Braden

Ben Braden

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 331 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #27 and said he would be the starting right tackle. He started all twelve games at right tackle.

The tackle positions were giant question marks heading into last season. Michigan had lost Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield to graduation and the NFL, and the backups at those positions were completely unproven. Braden, who had played in just two games in 2013, was one of them. Meanwhile, Erik Magnuson was the higher rated recruit and had played more in 2013. It seemed likely that Magnuson would start at one of the two tackle spots. Instead, Braden locked down the job on the right side while true freshman Mason Cole started all twelve games on the left. Michigan’s offensive line improved from terrible two seasons ago to mediocre last year.

The line as a whole needs to take another step forward, but so does Braden as an individual. A weakness in pass protection makes him a bit of a liability. However, he seems likely to start somewhere. Going into the season, he looks like a front-runner to start at one of the guard positions. Michigan had Magnuson starting at right tackle in the spring, and Braden had bumped over to left guard. Some early reports out of August practice have Braden playing some right guard. Either way, he and Kyle Kalis are manning those two spots. Braden has added 9 lbs. to his already massive frame, and he was reportedly torching the other linemen in sprints and conditioning in the spring. If he can hone his technique, he could be a very powerful interior presence for the next couple seasons.

Prediction: Starting right guard