Why Michigan football’s offensive line and running game are a work in progress

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In four seasons at Arizona State, LaDarius Henderson made 29 starts on the offensive line and compiled 119 college credits.

That’s an impressive body of work, no matter how you slice it. Unfortunately, the number of credits required for an undergraduate degree is 120. Henderson needed that last lonely credit before he could enroll at Michigan and begin his final season of college football with his new team.

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“Arizona State, they’re like, ‘Hey, maybe you can do spring ball here and stay here for a semester, and then if you still want to go …'” Henderson said. “I was like, ‘No. I’m going.'”

Henderson spent the spring in Ann Arbor, taking an online class to finish his degree in communications and organizational leadership while the Wolverines conducted spring practice. He never doubted things would work out in the end, but first, he had to deal with a minor delay.

Henderson’s story could be a microcosm of Michigan’s offensive line as a whole. The Wolverines aren’t far away, but the last few steps have taken longer than they hoped. Even though the offense has been efficient overall, Michigan hasn’t had one of those dominant, run-it-down-your-throat games that have been the program’s signature the past two seasons.

“It’s going to take a couple weeks for us,” left guard Trevor Keegan said Monday. “We didn’t have spring ball together. Once this thing gets rolling, we’re going to be playing really well.”

Michigan ball carriers are averaging 4.97 yards per carry, which ranks 33rd in the FBS. The Wolverines were third last season at 5.58 yards per carry and 18th the year before at 5.22.

Explosive runs account for a significant chunk of that disparity. Through four games last season, Michigan had 32 runs of 10 yards or more. This year, the Wolverines have 19, which is partly a function of new clock rules that have reduced the number of snaps and possessions per game.

“If you’re not breaking those long runs, you’re not going to run for 300 yards anymore,” Keegan said. “It’s dwelling on the guys a little bit that we’re not rushing for 300 yards, but those days are going to be over just because of the clock rules.”

A deeper diagnosis shows the running backs and the offensive line both have room to improve. Michigan ball carriers are averaging 2.79 yards before contact, per TruMedia, down from 3.46 yards before contact through four games last season. That equals 2.18 yards after contact this year, compared with 2.66 yards after contact through four games last season.

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In other words, Michigan’s blocking hasn’t been as good, and Michigan’s running backs haven’t picked up as many yards after contact, either. The Wolverines aren’t panicking, but they realize there’s room to get better.

“I think our run game is fine,” running back Blake Corum said after rushing for 97 yards on 21 carries against Rutgers. “We’ll watch the film and see where I can get better, see where the offensive line can get better and get on the same page a little bit more.”

Michigan is adjusting to the new clock rules while continuing to work on its chemistry up front. The Wolverines have three transfers playing on the offensive line in Henderson, center Drake Nugent and right tackle Myles Hinton. None of the three participated in spring practice, so they’ve had a steep learning curve since the start of preseason practice.

Even for experienced players, continuity on the offensive line doesn’t happen overnight.

“I feel like one missing thing is being able to do stuff on the fly,” Keegan said. “It’s almost like you don’t have to communicate — you just know everything’s going to come right at the snap.”

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When he announced his commitment to Michigan in December, Henderson was viewed as a likely successor to Ryan Hayes at left tackle. He played tackle at Arizona State early in his career before moving to guard and could have been picked in the middle rounds or higher if he had declared for the NFL Draft.

Instead, Henderson decided to play one more season in college to raise his stock as a left tackle. Michigan couldn’t promise him a job, but playing for a program that won back-to-back Joe Moore awards for the top offensive line in college football seemed like a solid choice.

“I obviously could have gone many places where it was just handed,” Henderson said. “In the recruiting process, we talked about competing for it. I 100 percent knew that was a possibility. As a player, you can never be afraid of competition. If you are, you might need to take a look down within yourself.”

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Henderson isn’t the first offensive lineman to pursue a one-year self-improvement plan at Michigan. Virginia transfer Olu Oluwatimi did the same thing last season and went from a potential undrafted free agent to a fifth-round pick after winning the Outland and Rimington trophies. Nugent, Michigan’s starting center, transferred from Stanford with similar aspirations.

Oluwatimi had the benefit of spring practice, while Henderson, Nugent and Hinton did not. Henderson had the added challenge of learning a new position while competing with a fifth-year senior in Karsen Barnhart. When the season began, Michigan went with Barnhart as the starter and played Henderson just a handful of snaps.

Henderson has had a bigger role the past two weeks, subbing in at left tackle while Barnhart moved to the right side. The Wolverines have stuck with the same starting lineup so far, but Henderson has continued to push for snaps.

“You can either crumble and get real sad and walk around like your world’s over, or you can get better single day and when your opportunity comes, be very prepared for it,” Henderson said. “That’s the route I choose to take.”

The phrase “work in progress” has become a go-to response for Michigan’s offensive line and running backs whenever they’re asked about the status of the running game. The Wolverines haven’t been bad, but they haven’t produced the kind of shock and awe that accompanied their rushing attack in recent seasons.

Last year, Keegan noted, that didn’t happen until Week 7, when the Wolverines rushed for 418 yards against Penn State. They had some dominant games before that, including Blake Corum’s 243-yard outburst against Maryland, but Michigan needed every yard of that performance to win its Big Ten opener last season.

The Wolverines haven’t needed to show their best stuff, but Saturday’s game against Nebraska could be a tougher challenge. The Cornhuskers are allowing 1.82 yards per rush, which ranks No. 2 in the FBS. For Michigan’s offensive line, it’s the next opportunity to put everything together.

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“The plays where we mess up, it’s one person,” Keegan said. “Once we get all 11 guys doing their assignments, it’s going to be special. We’re going to get rolling.”

(Top photo of Blake Corum: Bob Kupbens / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)