Name: Evan Link
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 328 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Link #116 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 72
Michigan had a stacked offensive line in 2023, so it was kind of a given that freshmen would not factor in much. And in an ideal world, that's how it should be unless there's a 5-star-caliber behemoth joining the team. Link was 6'6" and 305 pounds, which is good size for a freshman, but there was just no way he was going to overcome the seniority and size of the linemen ahead of him.
Now Link is up to 328 pounds, and perhaps he's on his way to being a force on Michigan's offensive line. Rumblings started last fall when people were talking about his performances in practice and Link being a name to watch. The talk increased this past spring. And they continue to come out of fall practice. Talk in the last few days has even suggested that Link might leap over two veterans, Jeffrey Persi and Andrew Gentry, to snag the starting right tackle job.
At the very least, it seems like Link is going to play a visible role in 2024. Maybe he'll win the right tackle job. Maybe he'll be a part-time starter if the coaching staff lets the competition go into the regular season, which they did last year. I've even heard talk that he could end up as the Trente Jones-style tight end/sixth offensive lineman. I would be surprised if he wins the right tackle job outright, but I expect to see big #71 on the field quite a bit this fall. And with the way people are talking about him, he's a good bet to be a starting tackle by 2025.
Prediction: Backup offensive tackle
Wow. This is a fun one. It's pretty exciting to be hearing about Link potentially surpassing the veterans and it does bode very well for the future.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is Gentry will start, Persi will be the top backup OT (and also the 6th OL), and Link will be a conventional backup (kind of like Gentry was last year). But if Link is used as the 6th OL, that would be a great sign.
My dumb guess for next year is that Link is your starting LT with Gentry sticking to RT.
Yeah, I see this as very good news. I'll flip on Lank's prediction a bit though: Persi-Gentry loser is next starter in (injury), while Link is the extra used on the End
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