Jim Harding is settling into his first season as Michigan's offensive line coach, and he's already hard at work assembling the Wolverines' front five for the fall. After a productive spring practice, Harding sees plenty of potential in his unit—even as he continues to fit the pieces together.

"We have kids that have had a lot of snaps," Harding said during a recent meet-and-greet with Detroit high school coaches. "Four or five of them have over 400 career snaps. So although they may not have been full-time starters for multiple years, they all have some playing experience."

That experience is crucial as Michigan installs a new offense under head coach Kyle Whittingham. Harding, who followed Whittingham from Utah, acknowledged the learning curve but praised his players' attitude. "It's been a learning process as they learn a brand-new offense. Some techniques and fundamentals are a little different, but they're great kids willing to work hard. They'll match any expectation or demand you have."

The offensive line isn't set in stone yet, but one position is locked down: center. Jake Guarnera, who started 10 games at right guard last season, is transitioning to the pivot role. He got a preview of the job in the bowl game after starter Greg Crippen went down, and Harding likes what he's seen. "He's really embraced that position change. He's taken more of a vocal leadership role, which isn't necessarily his personality, but he's stepping up."

Pass protection remains a top priority and a work in progress. Harding is eager to see the progress of injured linemen returning this summer and is focused on building depth and chemistry before fall camp. "There's a lot of improvement we still need to make from the spring game, but I'm excited to see where we'll be throughout the summer and into fall camp."

For a program built on physical line play, the centerpiece of this offense is taking shape—one rep at a time.