Gophers center John Michael Schmitz has challenge of leading overhauled offensive line in 2022

If John Michael Schmitz looks to his left, he'll see guard Conner Olson and tackle Sam Schlueter, two sixth-year Gophers who will exhaust their collegiate eligibility on Dec. 28 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, then take aim at an NFL career.

If Schmitz looks to his right, he'll see guard Blaise Andries and tackle Daniel Faalele, two Gophers who are giving up their final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Schmitz, the Gophers fifth-year senior center, could have joined Andries and Faalele in opting for pro football this winter. Instead, the bowl game against West Virginia in Phoenix won't be his last contest with the Gophers. He'll take advantage of the NCAA not charging players a year of eligibility during the 2020 COVID-disrupted season and return to Minnesota for his sixth campaign.

"It was definitely a tough decision — a lot of self-thought, a lot of talking to coaches and family members, just people who were in my corner," Schmitz said, addressing the media for the first time since announcing his decision on Twitter on Dec. 13. "Just seeing all the guys that came back like Mo, Tanner and Chris. I felt like I had a lot more to accomplish in college with individual awards and as a team.''

Running back Mohamed Ibrahim, quarterback Tanner Morgan and wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell all are returning next year and were recruits in coach P.J. Fleck's first Gophers class in 2017. Come next fall, the quartet will form a solid nucleus for the Gophers offense, and Schmitz's role will take on added importance as the only returning offensive line starter.

A second-team All-Big Ten selection this year, the tenacious and physical 320-pound Schmitz graded out as the No. 3 center nationally by Pro Football Focus College, behind Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum and Missouri's Michael Maietti. Schmitz is looking forward to seeing how the Gophers offense develops next season, especially with Morgan back to start for a fifth year.

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"The more you connect with one another, that bond is just going to be stronger," Schmitz said of his relationship with Morgan. "Sometimes, you'll read his mind in what he'll call, seeing the defense out there. It's definitely an advantage to have a quarterback you've known for almost five, six years."

Schmitz has a similar connection with the starters on the offensive line, who've been together for the most part since the 2019 season.

"That 'O' line group is special," Schmitz said. "Sometimes, we have six or seven guys out there at a time. There's definitely a lot of communication that's gotta go down the line, especially when the crowd's loud. We were very connected. We made sure of that."

Schmitz's role as a leader will be front and center next year when the Gophers must replace those four starters. Axel Ruschmeyer, who'll be a sixth-year senior and saw action at guard and blocking tight end, slots in at one of the guard spots, with fifth-year senior Nathan Boe and Karter Shaw, a transfer from Utah State, in the mix to start, too. At tackle, redshirt sophomore Aireontae Ersery and redshirt junior JJ Guedet likely will get long looks.

"We've got a lot of young guys who've been waiting their turn patiently," Schmitz said. "They're going to surprise a lot of people."

With season-ending injuries to Ibrahim and second-string running back Trey Potts this season, the offensive line still paved the way for redshirt freshman Ky Thomas and true freshman Mar'Keise Irving to be effective. Thomas credited the offensive line's intensity in setting the tone.

"Every day in practice, they're really ready to get after it, and that helped a lot," Thomas said. "Just them getting after it in practice forces me to get after it. You see in games how physical they played. It helped a lot."

Schmitz's plan for the offseason is to focus on the areas in which he needs improvement. He'll tap offensive line coach Brian Callahan for some tough love.

"I'll watch the games again and find little things here and there that we've got to pick out," he said. "Sometimes you hate hearing what you're bad at, but it's for the better."