Andrew Babalola injury: Michigan five-star freshman OT expected to miss 2025 season with knee issue
Babalola was in a battle to become Michigan's starting left tackle
By
Carter Bahns
•
1 min read
Michigan received a significant injury blow with two weeks remaining until the season opener. Five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola hurt his knee and is expected to miss the entirety of his true freshman season, per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. Babalola was one of the headliners of the Wolverines' tremendous 2025 recruiting class, and the expectation was that he would be a contributor right out of the gate.
Babalola battled Evan Link for the starting left tackle job when he injured his knee. Blake Frazier was also in the competition while taking reps at the right tackle spot. Babalola was squarely in the mix to break camp as the top option to protect the blind-side edge in spite of his lack of college experience.
Coach Sherrone Moore labeled Babalola last week as one of the freshmen on the roster playing "ahead of their time." The fall camp standout had ample time to acclimate to the college game after he enrolled at Michigan in January and participated in the team's spring practices and offseason workouts.
At 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, Babalola boasts an imposing frame for a freshman -- one that makes him a bona fide candidate to develop into an eventual first-round NFL Draft pick. He is also extremely athletic and had basketball experience both at the high school varsity and AAU levels.
The 2025 offensive line class was one of the most loaded groups in recent recruiting history, and according to 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks, Babalola has a case to possess the highest ceiling of any tackle in the nation. He ranked No. 2 at the position and closed the cycle as the No. 10 overall prospect nationally.
Babalola, an Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest product, was a two-year starter in high school and is still extremely new to football, having picked up the sport as a junior in 2023. He is on a meteoric rise and quickly became one of the highest-rated recruits to ever hail from the state of Kansas despite his lack of experience.
