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'Warrior' Michigan DT Kris Jenkins has played through high-ankle sprain

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•11/15/23•

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Kris Jenkins
(Photo by Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Michigan Wolverines football senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was a projected first-round pick by some analysts coming into the 2023 season, but he hasn’t quite had the production many expected him to through 10 weeks. Defensive line coach Mike Elston has an explanation, and a fair one, for why that’s the case.

“What you don’t realize about Kris is — I don’t remember what game it was, maybe the Minnesota game when [sophomore defensive tackle] Mason [Graham] came back — he suffered a high-ankle sprain. He’s been really dealing with that. He hasn’t been moving as well.”

Jenkins’ snap counts have been on the lower end, averaging 20.3 defensive plays in the next three games, wins over Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue. While he may have been limited in some practices, Jenkins — one of the team’s captains and most energetic individuals — has been present daily, per Elston.

“He’s been fighting through it; I mean, he’s a warrior,” the Michigan assistant noted. “He hasn’t missed a day, hasn’t missed a practice, hasn’t missed anything.”

The 6-3, 305-pounder has faced frequent double teams, which has been a factor in his statistics, but so has the injury. Through 10 outings, he’s posted 21 tackles, 3 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 1 sack, 1 interception and a pass breakup.

Ahead of the last two regular-season games, tilts against Maryland and Ohio State, and the postseason, Elston said the Michigan lineman should be much healthier.

“He’s battled through that, so his production is down a little bit, but he’s an incredible leader,” Elston continued. “He goes out there and he executes. His best games are out in front of him right.

“I actually, as we were grading the film yesterday from practice, I typed in one of the practice notes, ‘he’s back,’ because he had such a great play. 

“You’ll see a healthier Kris moving forward, and I believe the production will be there as it has been in the past.”

Michigan’s fastest defensive lineman

Michigan sophomore defensive tackle Kenneth Grant made 2 big run stuffs on first downs early in the 24-15 win over Penn State last weekend, but he’s received national attention for a play that actually went for a Nittany Lion chunk gain.

Elston was asked who Michigan’s fastest defensive lineman is.

“That’ll be an argument after this weekend,” Elston laughed. “Yeah, probably, I don’t know.

“Everybody argues who’s the fastest, but right now KG has the fastest clip on film in a game clip, so we gotta go with that one.

“It was crazy. In person, it was insane. He was on the front side of the play. Normally, you see that kind of pursuit from the back side. But he had a blocker who blocked down on him and he shed the blocker, he was working down the line and then he just turned on the jets. It was an impressive play. That was an elite play.

“And it wasn’t just that play, either. He set the tone on how to run to the football several times in this game. There’s a standard there now set that we can all live by as we go and play the game and pursue.”

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