Michigan football: D-linemen creating buzz, one early enrollee 'has really been showing up'

According to multiple Michigan Wolverines football players this spring, it’s been quite the back and forth between the offense and defense. One unit ‘wins’ one day, and the other will get revenge the next (safety R.J. Moten was happy to mention the defense won Sunday’s practice in The Big House).

Michigan is looking for edge defenders and interior defensive linemen to step up after losing Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Christopher Hinton to the NFL Draft. Sixth-year senior tight end Joel Honigford has a keen eye for not just his position group but the team in general, and several on the defensive line have impressed him within the spring battles.

Three have really stepped up for Michigan on the edge, Honigford revealed.

“[Redshirt sophomore] Mike Morris, [redshirt junior] Taylor Upshaw,” Honigford said of the edges. “Those guys are obviously … they were good last year. They’re better this year. They were very fortunate to have Aidan and Ojabo in front of them. Great guys to learn from. Aidan was a great leader.

“[Third-year sophomore] Braiden McGregor is coming along, getting bigger and developing as a player. He’s going to help us out a lot this year. And obviously, our linebacking corps is really good, too.”

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Morris racked up 17 tackles and one stop for loss last season, primarily serving as a sub-package pass rusher who played on the interior of the line on third downs. Upshaw dealt with a midseason injury but recorded eight stops, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Meanwhile, McGregor did not play in 2020 but saw limited time last season, posting four tackles and one stop for loss.

Michigan redshirt sophomore nose tackle Mazi Smith started all 14 games last season and is the lone returning starter on the defensive line, and he’s looking for guys to emerge at the tackle spot next to him. Two returners and one early enrollee have made some moves this spring.

“Mazi Smith has always been a quality guy,” Honigford said. “And actually a new guy, [freshman early enrollee] Mason Graham, has really been showing up. It’s really been encouraging to see, just a guy who came in and knew that he had to go as hard as he possibly could to show up, and he’s doing that.”

“I like how [redshirt freshman] Rayshaun Benny is coming along,” Upshaw said. “He’s really coming into himself as a football player. And then [third-year sophomore] Kris Jenkins, as well. Kris Jenkins is a mutant, as he would say for himself. But no, he’s a freak. You’re going to hear a lot from him this year as well.”

Benny redshirted for Michigan last season but impressed during mop-up duty in the Big Ten championship game, while Jenkins registered 22 tackles and a half-stop for loss while starting four games and appearing in all 14. Michigan was in on Graham, who played for powerhouse Anahem (Calif.) Servite, before many other big-time schools. He chose the Wolverines and stayed locked in despite West Coast powers Oregon, USC and others coming after him.

Joel Honigford reveals Michigan offensive spring standouts

Honigford has also been impressed with guys on his side of the ball, including Michigan’s weapons who’ll be out side of him at his tight end spot.

“A lot of our receiving corps,” Honigford said of who’s standing out on the Michigan offense. “[Sophomore wide receiver] Andrel Anthony is always fun to watch. The younger guys are coming along — [freshman early enrollees] Amorion Walker, [Darrius] Clemons, those guys are coming along.

“Obviously, it’s different coming from high school to college, because in high school, you’re the top dog. In college, you’re stepping in with a lot of top dogs, so you have to figure out how to work and how to practice and learn and listen. As opposed to high school, where you’re the man, everyone listens to you. In college, you’ve got a lot of men ahead of you, and I think they’ve done a good job at that.

“It’s fun watching them out there, making contested catches, things like that.

“[Sixth-year senior center] Olu [Oluwatimi], the transfer, is a beast, and it’s fun to watch. We have a lot of guys. I can’t pinpoint one, per se, but the receiving corps and the younger guys coming in, it’s a lot of fun to watch and see them developing these first nine practices we’ve done of spring ball so far.”