You can’t win football games if you can’t block.
Any coach will tell you that. An offense cannot function without five guys moving in sync to protect their quarterback or create an avenue for their tailbacks. The offensive line is the ultimate team-first position in the preeminent team sport.
In this fourth installment of the Free Press‘ position rankings heading into the 2026 Michigan high school football season, we will focus on the top returning offensive linemen. Next week, we move to the defensive side.
The wait until the best time of the year is now measured in weeks and days instead of months. Fall sports officially begin with practices on Monday, Aug. 10, across the state. The first MHSAA football games kick off Aug. 27.
I wrote last week that receiver is the deepest position in Michigan in terms of talent, but offensive line is a very close second.
Check out the links below for positions covered in previous weeks.
Young, a 2025 Free Press Dream Team selection, helped Kalamazoo Central reach the Division 1 playoffs for the seventh time in program history as a standout junior left tackle. According to coach Michael Stanger, seven out of every 10 run plays the Maroon Giants ran in 2025 were behind Young, and he did not surrender a sack on 148 passing attempts.
Listed at 6 feet 5 and 305 pounds, Young boasts a strong baseball background. He is the son of former Michigan State tight end Duane Young. He will have a key role for a KC program looking to make history with a third straight playoff berth.
Young is verbally committed to Colorado as one of the top prospects in coach Deion Sanders’ 2027 recruiting class.
Offensive line enthusiasts in Southwest Michigan will be eating well this fall. Lipsey and Young are a 1A and 1B on this list, with the Loy Norrix senior coming off an impressive junior campaign in multiple sports. Lipsey was an All-State offensive tackle, only allowing one sack, while recording 59 tackles and three sacks as a defensive tackle.
In addition to being a game-changing lineman, Lipsey averaged double-digit rebounds as a starting forward on the basketball team and finished sixth on the podium as an All-State shot-putter in track and field. Lipsey is listed at 6-5, 290.
Lipsey is verbally committed to Michigan as the highest-rated recruit currently in coach Kyle Whittingham’s first class, per 247Sports.
Henry is another highly-touted senior who will be playing college ball in this loaded senior class across the state, but he has not made his final decision yet. The senior is coming off a first-team All-Detroit campaign for a King program preaching process over results this offseason.
Henry is the senior leader for a King offensive line group that features plenty of talent across the board, including his younger brother, junior Jordan Henry, junior Elijah Willis and senior Trevor Dhue-Reid. Henry, at 6-5 and 310 pounds, is a mauler when he works downhill as a run blocker.
Henry is still uncommitted, reconsidering this summer following commitments from other recruits, according to coach Terel Patrick. He has over two dozen scholarship offers, including Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Tennessee, USC, and Illinois.
Jameer and Jordan Henry using brotherly love to power Detroit King
Esposito is one of the senior leaders for a Saline team looking to reload and compete right away in year one of the post-Tommy Carr era. Esposito remained with Saline to finish out his high school career after his father, former Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito, was hired as an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens. Esposito is a versatile offensive lineman who can play any position up front.
He has been the offseason leader in the weight room, both with his voice and the numbers he’s putting up. The offensive line will be a strength for the Hornets this fall, and the toughness and professionalism from the 6-6, 290-pound senior coming off an All-State season are big reasons why.
Esposito is verbally committed to Michigan. He has remained committed through the Wolverines’ coaching change and his father’s departure from the staff.
Wilkes has big shoes to fill as he transitions to left tackle for Cass Tech, a role previously held by four-year starter and current Missouri freshman Khalief Canty. He is looking to build on a promising sophomore campaign that earned him All-City honors.
At 6-7 and 280 pounds, Wilkes has the nickname “Shaq” amongst his teammates. He has focused on adding muscle while maintaining his fluidity this offseason, which has been busy between practices and the uptick in recruiting interest.
Wilkes is ranked as the top player in Michigan, the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 30 recruit overall in the country in the 247Sports’ rankings of the 2028 class.
Carlson, a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, will man left tackle for a Brighton squad that went 7-4 and lost to the state champions in the 2025 playoffs. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound senior is an experienced leader for the Bulldogs, who will be looking to compete for a conference title in the final year of the KLAA.
Carlson, who also plays some defensive end, is simply an immense high schooler at his size and is athletic enough to move all over on different plays as the featured lead blocker for running back Dominic Nauss. His athleticism and intelligence up front increase the versatility in Brighton’s offense.
Carlson is verbally committed to Michigan State.
Adloff is a four-year starter for an East Grand Rapids team that was a regional finalist with a 9-3 record. Adloff earned Division 3 All-State honors after playing nearly every snap of the Pioneers’ season as an offensive and defensive lineman and junior captain.
Adloff has been a three-sport athlete at East Grand Rapids, also playing basketball and playing on a top-ranked lacrosse team, but will reportedly enroll early at Michigan State after his senior football season (he committed to the Spartans and coach Pat Fitzgerald in January). Adloff is a leader for a Pioneers group looking to emerge on top of a competitive group of West Side teams in Division 3.
Anderson is the headliner of one of the biggest strengths for the defending Division 1 state champions. The senior left tackle is one of CC’s nine returning starters, including four on the offensive line alone.
Anderson, listed at 6-5 and 295 pounds, will play a key role in protecting quarterback Duke Banta and the new running back duo of Ryan Jaafar and J.J. Chevalier. Catholic Central had a dominant short-yardage running game and screen game in 2025, and with most of those blockers back, I expect more of the same this fall. Anderson was voted a captain by his peers entering 2026, demonstrating his leadership in a senior class that is determined to cement its own legacy with a second straight title.
Anderson is verbally committed to Pittsburgh.
Caleb Pugh is a standout three-sport athlete at Grand Rapids Christian and has caught the eye of the defending College Football Playoff champions down in Indiana. On the football field, Pugh is a three-year, two-way starter for an Eagles program that has gone from 1-8 in 2024 to a surprise playoff win over Battle Creek Harper Creek last fall.
Pugh played every offensive snap last year, either at center or left guard, for an offense that averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He also led all Grand Rapids Christian defensive linemen in snaps, recording 21 tackles from the interior. Pugh has two top-10 finishes in the Division 2 heavyweight class as a wrestler, including third in 2026, and plays lacrosse in the spring.
Pugh is verbally committed to Indiana as part of Curt Cignetti’s 2027 class.
Hinzman is a four-year, two-way starter for the 2025 Division 8 runner-up. Hinzman is the top returning player in the state’s smallest 11-player division thanks to his two-way dominance up front for a Hudson team that averaged 50.2 points per game last year.
In 2025, Hudson rushed for 5,277 total yards (376.9 yards per game) as it steamrolled its way to Ford Field before falling short to Harbor Beach. Along with clearing paths for now-departed Grayson Bills and current junior running back Becket Campbell, Hinzman had 33 tackles, including eight for loss, and an interception as the team’s starting defensive tackle. He is 6-7 and 275 pounds.
Hinzman is verbally committed to Iowa State.
Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Murtadha Abballah, Dearborn Fordson.
Joe Asperger, Grand Blanc.
Josh Baker, Detroit Cass Tech.
Charlie Bennett, Armada.
Jack Bobin, Warren De La Salle.
Braden Chaffin, Sterling Heights Stevenson.
Nehemiah Collier, Hudsonville.
Kaiden Conley, Traverse City West.
Carter Cronk, Rockford.
Randy Ellis, Harper Woods.
Jake Faccio, Midland.
Donovan Fuller, Birmingham Brother Rice.
Harvey Grove, Gladwin.
Joe Halonen, Calumet.
Micah Halstead, Howard Tri-County.
Hunter Hankamp, Coopersville.
Jordan Henry, Detroit King.
Jason Hubbell, Grosse Pointe North.
Frank Kanka, Howell.
Michael King, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Rylan Kirn, Rockford.
David Kish, Maple City Glen Lake.
Drew Kryscynski, Marysville.
Parker Laney, Northville.
Errol Lewis, Harper Woods.
Brian Matthews, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Jeremiah McCall, Harper Woods.
Sam McGrath, Roseville.
Hyder McKenney, Boyne City.
Brennan McLearon, Howell.
Daeyere Neely, Detroit Denby.
Sam Przytula, Gibraltar Carlson.
Garrett Russell, Traverse City St. Francis.
Liam Samborski, Oxford.
Nico Schwartz, Dearborn Divine Child.
Greyson Sucaet, Warren De La Salle.
Cameron Sutherland, Richmond.
C.J. Tetloff, Midland Bullock Creek.
William Tobin, Hartland.
Wes Vanderstelt, Jackson Lumen Christi.
Dylan Volpe, Port Huron.
Tommy Wilbon, Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Elijah Willis, Detroit King.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 offensive linemen to watch in 2026 Michigan high school football
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