Michigan DT Kenneth Grant fires back at opt-out concerns: 'You gotta go out there and play'
ANN ARBOR – With the Michigan Wolverines sitting at 5-4 on the season, the natural reaction from many is to wonder if any of the team’s star players will shut it down and star preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft. Junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant says he will not be one of them.
A big-time matchup looms again this weekend with a trip to Bloomington to take on No. 8 Indiana, who will be looking to move to 10-0 for the first time in program history. Grant says Michigan relishes its opportunity to play spoiler while improving his resume.
“It’s just another opportunity to go out there and put great things on film. Coach told us [our record is] real. We know our record, we know their record. So it’s just another opportunity to impact our season, but also impact their season. So, I mean, there’s still a lot on the line.
RELATED: WATCH: Michigan LT Myles Hinton, DT Kenneth Grant meet with media pre-Indiana
“I’s even more motivation. We know what it is. It’s real. You gotta go out there and play and everything. It’s gonna be a good game. We gotta come up and come ready.”
Grant, who is seen as a potential first round pick in next spring’s draft as an underclasman, said he has not plans to shut it down this season.
“No, I’m not sitting out,” he said. “Definitely want to go out there and put great things on film. I don’t really know my draft status right now. I guess first round, you could say. But I mean, I don’t really pay attention to that stuff.”
Grant has already played 29 more snaps this year than he did in 15 games last season, which was somewhat expected given Michigan’s schedule and lack of depth compared to previous years. He and Mason Graham are No. 3 and 4 in the Big Ten in defensive tackle snaps played, but they knew what they signed up for.
“It’s just a testament to my dedication,” Grant said. “Just trying to keep my body ready throughout the season, you know. I feel like I have done a great job of that. I’m not falling off or anything. It’s just a testament to the coaches, but also testament to me for keeping my body right.
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“We knew where it was. We’re gonna have to play more snaps. Just being mentally prepared for that, not just mentally, but also physically rying to keep our body right. I never really wondered. I just knew what it was. I know how my body feels. Just reacting off what my body’s telling me and stuff like that.”
The 2024 season has humbled a Michigan program that spent most of the calendar year in the glow of last season’s nationally title. The focus at this point has turned to finding win No. 6 and earning a chance to play in a bowl game.
It starts with continuing to put the work in behind the scenes.
“We just come in and take it one day at a time,” Grant urged. “You can’t really control the past or the future. Well, you can control the future, but you can’t control the past. Just keep it one day at a time staying level headed and just trying to be a better person.”
So what could possibly keep Michigan motivated down the stretch?
“I think it’s just internal,” Grant said. “We all know that everything’s not perfect. We’re not fine tuned yet. We’re not a finished product yet. So I mean, practice translates to the game. Game reps help to get ready and fine tunes and stuff like that. Just going out there on game day trying to get better and win.
“[A bowl game] is just another opportunity to play football. it’s important to everybody. Everybody wants to get on my field out there. For young guys it’s important because sometimes they don’t get as much reps as they want. A bowl game allows them to do that. But with the older guys, it still allows them to do that. Obviously some guys sit out. We don’t know who it is going to be, but it is what it is.”
