Michigan OL Brady Norton used to hate the Wolverines. Now, he's expected to be an anchor

Brady Norton, the now Michigan football offensive lineman, got a phone call while he was in a hotel in Ann Arbor.

An All-American at FCS Cal Poly, Norton thought he would get some "group of five" looks when he entered the transfer portal last winter, only to immediately receive a number of Power Four ACC offers.

He was considering them, that is until U-M got in contact with him and he truly "couldn't believe."

Ohio State had also reached out, he said Tuesday in Schembechler Hall while meeting with local reporters for the first time. But then they "ghosted" him. That is, until he was in Ann Arbor and U-M offered.

Not long after that happened, Norton, just miles away from the Big House, got the phone call from a staffer at OSU who offered him a scholarship. He said he thought it was "a little odd," they hadn't made contact until U-M wanted him, so he never responded: he simply posted a recruiting graphic that he was pledged to the Maize and Blue.

His thoughts now that more time has passed?

"(Expletive) those guys," Norton said.

'Grew up not liking Michigan'

Oh yes, he will fit in quite nicely in Ann Arbor. That is if he can get people to forgive him (jokingly) for his previous thoughts about the program. Norton grew up in Mission Viejo, California, rooting for nearby UCLA as well as his father's old favorite team, Notre Dame.

Norton knows the lore of the Block M, the tradition of the program and the success they've had, and combine that with the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry in the early 2000s, and his opinion of the Wolverines was pretty much set.

"I honestly grew up not liking Michigan, I'm not gonna lie," Norton said. "I definitely think they're the most hated team in the nation, no doubt, which is a good thing. ... it's a great thing."

This wasn't just as a child, he admitted. As recently as 463 days ago, Norton, who had just finished his first year playing ball in San Luis Obisbo, turned on the TV for the biggest college football game of the year.

U-M fans may want to plug their ears for the next part.

"I would always root against them, even in the 2023 national championship, I was rooting against Michigan," he said. "I didn't know I was gonna be playing here at one point. ... My boys and the people I know (out there), they're just not very liked I'd say.

"Either Michigan is very loved by someone or very hated by someone, there's no in between."

Making the flip

So, how did Norton come to love the Wolverines? Well, it's a little different when they love you back.

Head coach Sherrone Moore being a former offensive lineman helped. The pedigree of two Joe Moore Awards as well as third semifinalist finish in the past four years certainly didn't hurt. Last but not least, after playing in front of approximately 1,500 fans in home games the previous two years, the chance to play in front of an additional 100,000 each week was simply too much to pass up.

It also doesn't hurt the Wolverines have put 11 offensive lineman in the NFL draft over the previous four years.

"I looked at it as an opportunity as blue blood program," he said. "I'm not like, 'Oh Michigan offered me, I hate them I'm gonna throw that away.' I'm like, 'Oh, Michigan offered me, whoa.' I didn't think they'd call me or whatever. That's what blew my mind."

So, what type of player is Norton? His teammate Nathan Efobi said he's "an animal" during workouts and has been said to be the best bench presser on the team. In Norton's words, "I can push a little weight."

He stands at 6 feet 3 and about 310 pounds these days. While that's typically undersized for a Power Four offensive tackle, that's where he's been repping on the left side. Though Norton has played "a little" bit of guard and they've tried him at right tackle as well, he said the right side "isn't very comfortable" at this point.

"Brady's been great. Been a great addition," offensive line coach Grant Newsome said recently. "He's another guy who's going to put himself in that mix to be one of those best five."

Norton is still adjusting to the new size and speed of the game, but said he was surprised that it wasn't quite as different as what he expected. It's not that it's been all sunshine and roses − Derrick Moore has been the toughest one-on-one cover this spring he said, and has given him the business a couple times, but he will do that to more experienced tackles this fall, too.

Largely, this spring has been about getting up to size in the trenches, up to speed in the playbook, and up to the mental task of playing in front of crowd sizes he's never seen.

The biggest he's played in front of? Perhaps in Montana, which he estimated is between 30-40,000 people (the capacity is 26,217) and the noisiest may be "the Kibbie dome" in Idaho, which truly can get quite rowdy. Of course, he knows that won't be anything compared to Michigan Stadium, which he's excited to see one of these days.

Saturday, for the Maize and Blue spring game, to be specific.

"I haven't been in there yet, surprisingly," he said. "I'm a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie. ... Excited to finally see the Big House. I live over by it and drive by it every day, so very excited."

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.