<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2h2M6C_0vKQoyKe00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2h2M6C_0vKQoyKe00" width="1200" height="628" ><a href="https://247sports.com/college/michigan/">Michigan</a> offensive lineman <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/evan-link-46115101/">Evan Link</a> didn't think he'd win the starting right tackle job for the Wolverines, but he emerged from fall camp as the leader at the position. He played in all 62 snaps, helping guide U-M to a 30-10 win over <a href="https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/">Fresno State</a> in the season opener.It was a role Link, a redshirt freshman, didn't expect this early in his career — and it was the result of him winning a completion against <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/andrew-gentry-46050894/">Andrew Gentry</a> and Jeff Persi in camp."Training camp, it was tough, I'd say," Link said this week on "In the Trenches," a Michigan Athletics podcast. "The three of us, I think, played really well — me, Gentry and a Persi. It was really tight for a long time."And I'll be honest, I was kind of surprised when I got the call saying that I was going to get the job."U-M coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/sherrone-moore-1508/">Sherrone Moore</a> called Link on Thursday before the Fresno State game and tipped him on the new depth chart, where the redshirt freshman would appear at the top."I wasn't really expecting it. I had just come back from an injury and I'd been there for a few days," Link said. "And he called me and he was like, 'All right, you got it.' And I'm like, 'Oh, okay. I guess it's time to go now.'"He actually told me a long time ago, back when he was recruiting me, that he thought I'd end up playing a little bit earlier than I thought I would. He told me in that call, 'I told you this was going to happen, right? I know you're ready for it. Just go out there and do what you do.'"And five plays into his first drive, Link was celebrating a <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/donovan-edwards-46054812/">Donovan Edwards</a> touchdown in front of 110,000 fans.Not that Saturday night was smooth sailing throughout. The Wolverines scuffled for much of the night, amassing just 269 yards of offense and no more touchdowns until an efficient fourth-quarter drive. Much of the resulting attention focused on the offensive line, where Link was part of a brand-new unit featuring <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/myles-hinton-46035273/">Myles Hinton</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/josh-priebe-46056908/">Josh Priebe</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/dominick-giudice-46086402/">Dominick Giudice</a> and Gio El-Hadi."None of us have played together before, right? That was my first game ever starting and never played next to Gio. Myles and Priebe, brand new combination, and then center is completely different than what it's been in the past," Link said. "I think the first bit of it was a little bit of, 'All right. We're hitting a different person now. We don't really know what we're doing.'"And so part of it was just really getting some chemistry and getting some kind of those little bit of the jitters out of there. A brand new line, everybody's kind of new to playing next to each other. Not everybody's super comfortable yet with it. In the beginning it was kind of some of those struggles with that. And then as we get further into the game, I think we really started to figure out how to work well together. And I think it turned into some better plays, better runs."We need a little bit more time to get working together as a line because a lot of what we do is very chemistry based."Story photo by Bryan Fuller / MGoBlog.com</div></body>

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Michigan OL Evan Link details ‘surprise’ winning starting job, preparing for Texas

Michigan offensive lineman Evan Link didn't think he'd win the starting right tackle job for the Wolverines, but he emerged from fall camp as the leader at the position. He played in all 62 snaps, helping guide U-M to a 30-10 win over Fresno State in the season opener. It...

Michigan OL Evan Link details ‘surprise’ winning starting job, preparing for Texas

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