In our position breakdown series, we take a look at each position group in Michigan football heading into spring practice.
How will the current depth chart change? What are the stories and highlights to watch heading into the spring and ultimately this season? Potential changes to how the group looks, whether it's players, coaches, situations, etc. What is the X element with ?
Let's talk about the greats of interior design.
Position breakdown series
quarterback
run back
wide receiver
tight end
offensive line
corner
defensive tackle
linebacker
cornerback
safety
depth chart
defense line
Fall 2024 Signers: Owen Waffle, David Perperre, Ted Hammond, Manuel Beigel
What's the story?
The offense is in transition and full of question marks, but that doesn't apply to the defense. And nowhere are there more questions about who will lead the way than at defensive tackle. We've come a long way since his DT days in the Don Brown era.
Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant return and should be the best starting point duo in college football.
Graham arrived as a freshman in 2022, picked up a new gear last season, and is already one of the best players in the nation as a sophomore. Graham does it all. He is a run stuffer with an average tackle depth of only 1 yard. Graham had as much pressure as Josiah Stewart as a pass rusher, had a better win percentage than Derrick Moore, and led the team in hits as a QB.
Grant played behind Madge Smith in his first year, but was not given the same opportunities as Graham. Grant, a sophomore, built his resume as Bruce Feldman's No. 1 Freak in 2024. He does things that a 6-foot-3, 340-pound man shouldn't be able to do, like cornering Caitron Allen in the open field.
What's the best way to show that Grant can do it all? Look at this stat line.
29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5 for loss, 6 quarterback hurries, 5 pass breakups, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery. Controlled chaos, Grant is a threat.
As Jim Harbaugh says, having two interior players who can cause this much havoc is a gift from the football gods. What about defensive issues? He can only be double-teamed once.
Last season, Graham, Grant, and Kris Jenkins were overshadowed by Rayshawn Benny's sneakily impressive season. While the other three played over 400 snaps, Benny played 244 snaps, but still had two fewer tackles than Grant and more tackles for loss than either Grant or Jenkins. Benny had zero missed tackles in 2023. He is truly an efficient run-stopping machine, and should play a more important role this season.
Trey Pierce is the next sophomore to break out and could be heavily rotated as a DT4, and could definitely be the future at the position in a post-Graham-Grant world. How he develops in the offseason will be a hot story in the spring. He already sported a lean, strong 300 pounds last season, and adding more weight would make Pierce a force in the 3T/NT rotation.
The University of Michigan has four talented defensive tackles in the 2024 class, but no early enrollees. It will take a strong summer and fall camp, but I wouldn't be shocked if someone from that group contributes this season even if they don't get an early start.
X factor
Those who read my EDGE preview may be confused by Enow Etta and Cam Brandt who are also listed here. The main reason I listed Etta and Brandt as EDGE players was how they were used last season. Each played outside, not playing inside snaps, nose tackle, or 3T. But that was last season and they were freshmen.
Etta was already listed last year at 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 295 pounds. Brandt is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 277 pounds. The University of Michigan is using EDGE as the DE/OLB in a 3-4/2-4-5 front, so it's likely that he will be too heavy and too big to play outside. The Kris Jenkins comparisons are obvious, and the two are ahead of schedule.
Both players are versatile, agile and strong. How they develop this offseason will be a big clue for their future. It reminds me a lot of Derrick Moore heading into last season. Given Moore's size, there was hope he could be moved inside. Instead, Moore became stronger and more defined in spring camp, becoming a backup strong side EDGE.
Etta has gained a lot of weight over the past two years. His strength is in his lower body, so an upper body change like we saw from Moore could make him a dominant EDGE and a future star at the position. If he gains more weight, he could easily become Jenkins' DT/5T successor.
At the time of his hiring, Brandt was considered more likely to become a DT. His HS tape looked more like a true 4-3 DE than a stand-up EDGE, but he played all over the defensive line. Again, Jenkins' comp was very obvious. So I'm leaning towards Etta being on EDGE and Brandt moving into EDGE, but anything is possible and that's what makes their spring arrival so interesting.
But no matter where they play, Etta and Brandt can be expected to make an impact in 2024. Michigan is elite at the starter level, but they need depth, and any player who can limit drop-offs from the starters will have a place in this defense. .
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