ANN ARBOR, Mich. — At this time last year, it was something of a surprise to Michigan football fans (and the media, too) that Evan Link ended up beating out Andrew Gentry for the starting right tackle job. Entering his sophomore year, after spending his freshman campaign on the scout team, it was Gentry’s job to lose, but he turned out to lose it.
For Link — who had a bit of an up and down season in 2024 — as it turns out, he was just as surprised as anyone that he would be the first one out there on the field.
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“I would say just because, to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting last year, and that was a complete shock,” Link said. “It was a surprise to me, but it was a great opportunity. And I think this year — obviously, playing 11 games — a lot more, I know what I’m doing out there. I have that confidence that I can compete with the best people out there. I mean, Derrick and TJ challenge me every day. So if I can compete with those two guys, I can compete with anybody in this country.”
This year, it’s different. Though he was at right tackle last year, he moved to his native left, starting with the ReliaQuest Bowl on December 31. He entered spring ball and fall camp knowing that he was likely going to be the starter, and he had confidence after having his best games against Northwestern, Ohio State, and Alabama to close out the 2024 season.
But he still got pushed by the other players on the depth chart. Ultimately, he says, it helped him refine his game and make him better.
“I think I’ve taken a lot of strides in my mental game and physical, a lot of things that were lacking last year,” Link said. “I think I’ve gotten a lot better at. I really think that competition in camp helped me get there. (Andrew Babalola) was a lot — was really good at some things that I need to improve on. So I have to compete with him and Blake (Frazier) in that regard as well. Really helped me improve my game and take it to another level.”
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Link appears to be not only more confident in himself and his own abilities as he heads into year three, but he’s feeling like the offensive line unit, as a whole, will have a much better showing than it had a year ago. The testing from the defensive front has made a big difference, and now Link and the O-line are ready to show the world on Saturday that the typical Michigan OL will be back in 2025.
“I’ve been very excited for this first game, especially with the way our unit’s been playing,” Link said. “I’m just excited to see what we can do and just make this offense run.”
Fans will get to see whether or not those improvements come to fruition starting on Saturday when the Wolverines host New Mexico at The Big House. Kickoff will be at 7:36 p.m. EDT, and the game will be broadcast on NBC.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Evan Link gains confidence as Michigan’s starting left tackle in 2025
