Michigan center Jake Guarnera defends injured OL Andrew Sprague against online critics

Michigan center Jake Guarnera spoke up Tuesday for injured right tackle Andrew Sprague, pushing back on fans online who have suggested Sprague chose not to play.

Guarnera, a junior, raised the subject himself while talking with reporters after practice at Schembechler Hall, On3's The Wolverine reported. He said Sprague is upset about being away from the field, is still around the team and is still helping teammates. "He's never quit on us," Guarnera told On3.

Sprague hasn't played since Sept. 19. Less than 24 hours before kickoff against UTEP that day, he got hurt and told head coach Kyle Whittingham he would not be available. Neither Sprague nor the program has said what the injury is. On Monday, Whittingham agreed he has been "perplexed" by it. According to On3, Sprague got several medical opinions, the doctors now appear to agree, and he is expected to miss at least several more weeks.

That silence has fed speculation on social media. Guarnera said Sprague has "stuff going on" and can explain it himself if he wants to. In the meantime, Guarnera said he is trying to keep his teammate's spirits up. He also told On3 he tries to stay away from online chatter, but the comments he has come across have frustrated him.

Sprague's absence has left Michigan without its starting right tackle on a line that has struggled this season, especially in the run game. Some help may be coming. Whittingham said sophomore tackle Andrew Babalola will rejoin practice this week. Babalola missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL and had several setbacks during fall camp and earlier this season. Guarnera said the Wolverines need Babalola at tackle while Sprague is out.

Guarnera also took some of the blame for how the line has played. He told On3 the bye week was about resetting the group's mentality. As a leader, he said, he let the standard of previous Michigan lines slip, and the group is now trying to get back to it in practice and in games.

The Wolverines (3-2) need that reset to show up quickly. Penn State (3-3) comes to Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff on CBS. It is Michigan's first game since a loss at Minnesota before the bye.

Michigan is favored at -212 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game. The best sportsbook price on the Wolverines is -230 at FanDuel. Michigan is favored by 6.5 points, and the total is 42.5. That total points to a low-scoring game, which would put more weight on whether the reshuffled line can open running lanes against the Nittany Lions.

Whether Babalola is ready to play Saturday, and how Michigan lines up at right tackle, will be worth watching early. Full prices are on the game page, and more coverage is on our Michigan team page.