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Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Evan Link (71) against the Washington Huskies during the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Michigan offensive lineman Evan Link has more than a season of starts under his belt and will be an integral piece of Michigan’s o-line in 2026, but which position will Link play? Will he start?
The story so far
Link committed to the Wolverines in October of 2022 and was a four-star recruit. The Burke, Virginia native didn’t appear in a game as a freshman but appeared in all 13 games in 2024, including 11 starts. Link would go on to start seven games in 2025 but suffered a knee injury and missed the rest of the season.
Link improved mightily between ’24 and ‘25. Per Zach Shaw of 247 Sports, Link’s PFF pass-blocking efficiency of 94.7 ranked No. 300 at offensive tackle out of No. 321 in 2024 but his 97.6 grade in 2025 ranked No. 83 out of No. 307 at OT. Further, Link allowed one sack and eight total pressures in 187 pass-blocking snaps last season.
Outlook for 2026
Link played at left tackle during Michigan’s spring game, but could be in line for a move to guard in 2026, something college football analyst Phil Steele projects. It seems likely that Blake Frazier could be Michigan’s starting left guard while veteran Andrew Sprague would line up at right guard.
Michigan offensive line coach Jim Harding spoke about how Link played at both tackle and guard in spring ball.
“Now, Link, he came back and he played a little tackle and he played guard, so he was kind of a swing guy for us the last two weeks,” Harding said, per Alejandro Zuniga of 247 Sports. “He’s a pretty good football player. We didn’t get to see him the first few weeks, and then when he got out there, you could see why he played as many snaps as he’s played the last two seasons.”
Link was having an improved season before his injury, and a position switch to guard, along with a respected offensive line coach in Harding now at Michigan, could both bode well for the veteran to have a great 2026 campaign.
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