Michigan's offensive line depth took a significant hit on Monday, as it was reported that true freshman Andrew Babalola had suffered a season-ending injury, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
Babalola — a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, was among the most highly-touted recruits in the class of 2025. On3/Rivals rated him as the No. 14 overall prospect in the country, in addition to the class' fourth-best offensive tackle and top player from the state of Kansas.
Despite not being projected to be a starter for the Wolverines, Babalola was expected to earn playing time after strong showings during the preseason.
What have coaches and teammates been saying about Babalola?
Head coach Sherrone Moore and graduate student guard Giovanni El-Hadi have been among the figures in the Michigan locker room to praise Babalola for his efforts during the spring and fall.
"Andrew Babalola... He’s going to push for the starting left tackle spot,” Moore said during an Aug. 12 press conference. “That’s a day-to-day competition with Evan [Link].”
"He’s very athletic with his feet,” El-Hadi added during a prior press conference, via The Wolverine's Anthony Broome. “[He's] very strong. And for him being a freshman, he’s so smart. Like, he knows what a senior knows, and that’s a really good thing for a freshman… [I knew he was smart when] he was telling me he was a 4.0 [student]. When [offensive line coach] Grant Newsome would ask questions to the freshman, he would always know the answer. I’m like, 'Wow.' I was the one who would not raise my hand and I’ll be sitting in the back [as a freshman]."
A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Babalola attended Blue Valley Northwest High School, where he began playing football as a junior after previously playing basketball on the AAU circuit. He was a two-year starter in the trenches for the Huskies.