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'Tone-setter' Jaylen Harrell taking cues from Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•09/19/23•

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Michigan football Jaylen Harrell
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Michigan Wolverines defensive has been suffocating during the first three weeks of the season, which is something the group is striving to take into Big Ten play. Much of that has to do with a ferocious and athletic front seven, which is led by seniors Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell.

The two combined for one of the plays in last weekend’s win over Bowling Green with Harrell providing pressure that led to Jenkins picking off a screen pass. Harrell in particular has been Michigan’s most disruptive pass rusher with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble on the season.

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“He did it last week on the field, igniter, tone-setter, difference-maker,” head coach Jim Harbaugh raved earlier this week. “Difference-maker on the field is somebody who makes the magic happen when you need to make it happen. He’s the guy. He’s been doing that. The sack, the caused fumble, the forced interception to Kris, there’s all kinds of ways he’s doing it. Consistently doing it with consistency.”

Harell has worked his way into his tone-setting role after flying under the radar as part of Michigan’s “no-star” defense. But he isn’t sneaking up on anyone these days.

“He likes using that phrase,” Harrell responded on Tuesday night. “I guess it’s just by the way I play, the way I carry myself. I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team win. Just like the energy and when we need a moment going out there and bringing that extra fire when we don’t have enough juice or whatever.

“[I learned by] watching guys like Aidan [Hutchinson] and [David Ojabo]. When they made a play it lifted everybody up.”

Harell keeps in touch with Hutchinson and Ojabo, now with the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, after having an up-close and personal look at the most talented pass-rush duo in Michigan history back in 2021.

“I talked to Aidan after the Kansas City game,” Harell said. “I was joking to him about Patrick Mahomes [being] the hardest quarterback to tackle. I talked to Ojabo [on Monday night] actually. He keeps harping on ‘ball is king.’ Get the ball out. We were just talking about that all night.

“Just keep going. Never getting satisfied. Never getting too high, never getting too low. Just always find something to just keep working at each and every day until I get to that full potential.”

Michigan is still working on unlocking the potential of its pass rush, but more of a push from the interior line should help bring out the best in the defense.

“[The interior push helps] a lot,” Harrell said. “Mason [Graham], Kris [Jenkins], [Kenneth Grant], Cam [Goode], all those guys pushing the pocket. That just creates more one-on-ones and has the quarterback, getting back there a little, a little deeper We work together with great continuity. Good things are going to be happening for us as a defense and as a team.”

Of course, the storyline of the week is Harbaugh’s return to the sidelines on Saturday after a three-game school-imposed suspension. There has been a noticeable lift in spirits in Schembechler Hall, per Harrell.

“It’s just a little more juice in the building,” Harrell said. “We know we’ve got Coach on the sideline come Saturday. He hasn’t changed, so he’ll still be himself. But we just know like we got our head coach with us on Saturday going to work.”

So what’s happening with the ‘Free Harbaugh’ t-shirts now?

“Guess we put those away,” Harell chuckled. “Hopefully you never have to see them again.”

Michigan is back in action on Saturday afternoon against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 12 p.m. ET from the Big House in Ann Arbor.

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