If you want to play offensive lineman in college football, there’s probably no better place to do it than Ann Arbor, but not everyone is drawn to Ann Arbor.
The University of Michigan football team won the Joe Moore Award for the second straight year, but the following year may have been the best year for the position when the Wolverines won the national championship. The Wolverines have two offensive linemen in Avery Gach and Caden Strayhorn, but one player who was expected to eventually transfer to Ann Arbor is now trending toward transferring.
The Wolverines were competing with Clemson for the signing of Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School four-star interior offensive lineman Hardy Watts in 2025. After Clemson received the 247Sports Crystal Ball, Michigan football was on a roll and Watts seemed destined to eventually don the maize and blue.
But things have turned around and Michigan’s predictions have all flipped to Big Ten rival Wisconsin.
Here is Watts’ rating by recruitment service:
| Performer | over- | position | state | |
| 247 Sports Composite | Four | 217 | 12 | 1 |
| On3 Industry Rankings | Four | 251 | 16 | 2 |
| 247Sports | Four | – | 16 | 1 |
| On 3 | Four | 119 | 9 | 1 |
| rival | Four | 178 | 6 | 1 |
| ESPN | 3 | – | 40 | 2 |
Watts also holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas A&M. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, he was initially expected to attend Clemson, then Michigan, but was backed by Wisconsin.
As for linemen, Michigan remains in a good position with five-star recruit Andrew Babalola, although he will play on the outside.
