Trevor Keegan On Why Drake Nugent Might Be The Next Great Center At Michigan

Michigan has now won the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in the country two years in a row and the success at the center position is a big reason why. In 2021, it was former walk-on and undersized go-getter Andrew Vastardis who held things down in the middle because of his football IQ and want-to. Last year, it was transfer Olu Oluwatimi who really took the position to another level and appears to already have staying power in the NFL. Now, it's likely another transfer in former Stanford Cardinal Drake Nugent. He's not officially at the top of the depth chart yet, and he might not be quite as dynamic as Oluwatimi, but he's got starter and leader written all over him. 

No one knows if the committee will give the award to the same program three years in a row, but U-M is going to be squarely in the mix for it again. Two big reasons are Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan. The experienced guards make up the best interior duo in the country and should be able to bring along whoever wins the tackle and center spots. At center, there's a battle between Nugent and young, developing lineman Greg Crippen. Keegan spoke about Nugent and it makes you think the savvy vet might be in line for the job.

"You hear from guys coming from different programs. Obviously [Drake Nugent came] from a struggling program like Stanford and just [him] telling us how thankful and blessed we are to be in the situation here at Michigan with these facilities," Keegan explained. "Coaches who really care and how much of a business and how much everything matters here. 

"Obviously [he's] a really good person. Drake was a captain at his last program. He's bringing a new mentality to the room and he's a workhorse — he wants to work."

Keegan expanded on Nugent even more when asked to describe the type of player the 6-2, 301-pounder is.

"I look at him as just like an angry pitbull," Keegan said with a laugh. "Everything he does is full go, full go, full go. Even winter workouts, spring workouts, summer workouts, everything he does is 100%. And he works his tail off. 

"Obviously, he's a little undersized, but his tenacity and his work ethic really make up for that. He's a really good dude and we've become really close since his time coming here."

At 6-4, 309 pounds, third-year Wolverine Greg Crippen does have a little bit of size and obviously some familiarity over Nugent, but he can't come close when it comes to in-game experience. Crippen has only played a handful of snaps in seven games over the course of two years in Ann Arbor, while Nugent has started 24 contests, been named a captain and earned all-conference honors while playing for the Cardinal. If the season started tomorrow, it feels like it would be Nugent snapping the ball and when you hear Keegan talk about him, you get some sense of why that is.