Connor Jones’ path to Michigan, outlook for 2023

Offensive tackle Connor Jones appeared in limited game action as a freshman for the Michigan Wolverines in 2022. What should fans expect from him this upcoming year?

As part of a series at Maize n Brew leading up to the start of the season, let’s break down Jones’ path to Michigan and his outlook for 2023.

The story so far

Jones is a massive lineman, measuring 6-foot-6, 298 pounds from Monument, Colorado. He was a three-star prospect in the 2022 class, choosing Michigan over West Virginia, Oregon State and Northwestern, among others.

Considered one of the best players from Colorado in his recruiting class, Jones helped lead his team to a Class 3A state championship in 2019 and Class 4A runners-up in 2020. The team went 28-5 in his career, and Jones allowed just three total sacks in three years as a varsity starter.

Jones played in just two games last year as a freshman, seeing time at tackle against UConn and Hawaii. The coaches also named him the scout team Offensive Player of the Week for the Penn State game, praising his work in practice to help prepare the defense.

Outlook for 2023

With so much depth returning to the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line — supplemented by incoming transfers LaDarius Henderson, Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent — Jones is highly unlikely to crack the lineup as a starter in 2023. But his usage as a second-year player may still be indicative of his future with Michigan.

Now that he’s taken a redshirt year, Jones could see a bigger role on special teams or as a backup offensive lineman. Expect Jones to get on the field more than he did in 2022, but he still has a ways to go to truly compete for a starting role.