If you’re looking for more evidence that Michigan's offensive line can be one of the better units in the nation this fall, the Outland Trophy watch list offered plenty when it was released Tuesday.

The 83-member list for the Outland Trophy — which annually goes to the nation's top interior linemen — included a nation-leading four Michigan players on the list. And unlike Oregon, who had four but one defensive tackle, all four Wolverines were returning starting offensive linemen.

Senior right guard and reigning team captain Ben Bredeson leads the list, but is joined by fellow senior guard Michael Onwenu, fifth-year senior Jon Runyan Jr. and junior center Cesar Ruiz. The four started all 13 games for Michigan last season, and enter this season with a combined 87 career starts between them.

While Bredeson might be the only Michigan player to seriously contend for the Outland Trophy, the Wolverines have four of the top 83 linemen is the latest sign of their potential as a unit this fall.

"It’s different,” Bredeson said at Big Ten Media Days of the offensive line being perceived as a strength for the Wolverines this season. “Last year, we were trying to prove what we weren’t, this year we're trying to prove what we are. We’re trying to be the heart and soul of the team, and bring our play back to the Michigan offensive lines of old, bring that stance back.

“That’s what we’re working on now. We return four guys, Andrew Steuber started four games for us last year, Jalen Mayfield is getting a lot of reps, those two were going at it all spring. We’ve got guys there, we’ve got a lot of depth, got the players to be a really special group this year.”

Included on the list were nine players Michigan will face this fall. The Wolverines will go up against Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz, Iowa offensive tackles Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs, Penn State defensive tackle Robert Windsor, Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenburg and guard Tommy Kraemer, Michigan State defensive tackle Raequan Williams, Indiana tackle Coy Cronk and Ohio State offensive tackle Thayer Munford.

For Michigan, there will be a number of challenges this fall. But when it comes to the trenches, the Wolverines feel that they could be the better unit in every game this season.

In fact, speaking at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh suggested that even the reserve linemen are playing so well, that Runyan and others could be moved around to make room.

“Jalen Mayfield, really doing well. He and Andrew Stueber, they've been linked. They were linked throughout spring ball as the two that were battling for the right-tackle position and they're linked again because they are both attacking the summer program and are stalkers to the weight staff,” Harbaugh said. “You like Steuber a lot, you like Mayfield a lot. If you ever had to put them both in at tackle — Runyan’s an All-Big Ten tackle right now — but you wonder.

“Or if something were to happen to one of the inside guys, maybe Runyan could go there and those two be the tackles. We're not there right now because we have really good guards in Ben Bredeson and Mike Onwenu and Cesar Ruiz at center, but that's a good problem to have.”