Inside Michigan football’s push to revive its smashmouth identity

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore set a tone this offseason, demanding his program improve its physicality to get back to its roots with much bigger expectations in 2025.

No group has to wear that more than the Michigan offensive line, which underwhelmed as a group last season. Position coach Grant Newsome knows his group has to be more consistent for the team to reach its goals.

“When you think of Michigan football, you think of that brand of football and the physicality,” Newsome said on Wednesday. “It starts up front with the run game. It goes back to the offensive line having to lead the team, how we have to be able to run the football here.

“There were times when we did that last year, but it wasn’t consistent enough. That’s on all of us, myself included in that unit. We’ve got to take that pride and take that step so the team can rely on us. When it’s a tough game or a close game, we’re going to be able to be physical, we’re going to be able to run the football.

“It’s a credit to those guys and the approach they’ve taken so far. It’s shown up in camp, but it’s got to continue to show up.”

Even with some of the ups and downs for Michigan last season, there was a shift in the energy in the final month of the season. It included a 50-6 win over Northwestern, followed by upset wins over Ohio State (13-10) and Alabama (19-13) as three-touchdown underdogs to close out the year.

“I think it was probably that Northwestern game when you really started to feel the energy and the confidence of the team, and of the offensive line specifically, begin to shift,” Newsome said. “We put a big emphasis that week, and Coach Moore did as well, on just going out and playing confident, playing physical, and leaning into all the things this program has been built on.

“The guys did a great job of meeting that challenge and just playing free and confident. I think that did show up down the stretch. The Ohio State game wasn’t some crazy high-scoring 50-point game, but most times that game’s not. I think there’s a stat that over the last 23 or 24 years, the team that’s won the rushing battle has won that game. I think that says a lot about who we are as a program. If we can run the ball up front and stop the run on defense, we’re going to be in a good position.”

Michigan feels like its physicality and connectivity in the trenches is improved on offense, but Newsome said it is still a work in progress and the evaluation is still taking place.

“They’re closer, and that was one of the things looking internally, talking with the guys, talking with Coach Moore throughout last year, what was the missing piece?” Newsome said. “What was the reason we didn’t click? Why didn’t we fire on all cylinders early in the season? Why did it take us so long to get going and feel like we were at the place we reached by the end of the year?

“It came down to the confidence element and the closeness. I think we’re a much closer group this year, not just on the field, but also off the field. And the guys are playing with confidence, which, at that position, is so critical.

“It starts in practice. Having the confidence that we’re going to face the best defensive line in the country every single day. They’re going to beat us. That’s what good teams have is a good back and forth. When you’re going against two edges who I think are first-round picks, and a whole D-line inside that our guys are going to have a shot to go play in the NFL and have great careers.

“But understanding, hey, I’m not going to shy away from that challenge. If I lose a rep, cool, I’m back in on the next one. I’m going to get this next rep. I think we’re playing with that this year in a way that I didn’t do a good enough job of fostering and creating last year.”