Name: Josh Priebe
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 306 lbs.
High school: Edwardsburg (MI) Edwardsburg
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #68
Last year: Priebe played for Northwestern. He started all twelve games at left guard and was named Third Team All-Big Ten.
TTB Rating: N/A
Priebe is a Michigan native who started 29 games for the Northwestern Wildcats over the past four years. He played in eight games as a true freshman in 2020 and has basically been starting ever since. He had a couple rough appearances in 2023 according to Pro Football Focus, but Northwestern is not a good football program. Additionally, offensive linemen are very dependent on what's going on around them (combo blocks, communication, etc.), so it's tough to be a good offensive lineman on a bad offense. From what I've seen of Priebe, he has the tools to step in and be a solid player at Michigan.
And that's what I expect Priebe to do. Head coach Sherrone Moore has already announced that Priebe and Giovanni El-Hadi will be the starting offensive guards, and that's been the situation all camp, according to what I've heard. Despite guys like Raheem Anderson II, Dominick Giudice, Evan Link, etc. pushing for playing time, nobody seems to have been able to challenge for Priebe's spot. There was one insider report that said if Priebe had been at a place like Michigan, he would have been First Team All-Big Ten. While I think that might be going a step too far, Priebe should be a part of a solid interior offensive line in 2024.
Prediction: Starting offensive guard; Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
The analysis is spot on. It speaks to the value and importance of the portal that Priebe was essentially unchallenged in camp.
ReplyDeleteNotable that the starting center is reportedly Dom Giudice, beating out a couple of highly regarded seniors who fought for a the backup job last year and played center throughout their careers including high school. Giudice was that good! And yet...he didn't challenge El Hadi or Priebe at OG.