Jim Harbaugh discussed who his “X factor” is for Michigan on Monday at the team’s press conference. It’s not who you’d think it would be.

While many people might guess that it would either Blake Corum or Donovan Edwards, Harbaugh went a different route. Harbaugh thinks that it’s Michigan’s Director of Strength and Conditioning Ben Herbert.

Harbaugh credited strength and conditioning for a lot of Michigan’s success on the gridiron this season.

“To me, Ben Herbert is the ‘X’ factor for our entire football program,” said Harbaugh.

Herbert is in his fifth season working with the Wolverines. He joined Michigan after previously working at Arkansas from 2013-2017.

Having good strength and conditioning should be at the forefront of what every college football program wants to achieve. It seems like Herbert is doing all the right things in Ann Arbor, especially if he got a shoutout from Harbaugh himself.

This is a good sign for the Michigan football program.