Michigan notebook: Enow Etta weight change, why the Wolverines will 'surprise' with depth, Breeon Ishmail's 'motor'

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football closed out spring practices with a split-squad scrimmage Saturday at The Big House. But as sophomore EDGE Cameron Brandt put it, the game was also a “launching point” for the rest of the offseason.

“Take this game, go over the film, figure out what I need to get better, what we as a team need to get better at — and just taking those steps,” the 6-foot-4, 277-pounder explained. “May is coming up; we have a little discretionary period, so we’ll just be working on those little techniques, fine-tuning. Summer’s gonna come, August, just keep picking up the pace.”

Michigan’s defense lost key pieces from last season but returns a lot of talent, and much of the talk during spring ball was about how that unit was ahead of the offense.

“Our defense is young, but we’re hungry,” Brandt said. “Everyone’s ready, willing to work. No one’s trying to take steps back; we’re all just trying to get better moving forward. Press on the gas even more and just continue to build on what we have, and understand that we’re not team 144 — we’re team 145 and we’re gonna be great.”

Enow Etta gains weight and slides to defensive tackle

Brandt has taken a step forward individually this spring, currently in the projected two-deep at EDGE along with senior Josaiah Stewart, junior Derrick Moore and senior TJ Guy.

“I’ve done a good job of just consistently getting better at the little things, listening to the other guys, as well, the older guys like D-Mo, J-Stew, TJ,” Brandt said. “They’ve been a great help with me, progressing my game and telling me what I can get better at. Just the little nuances in the game that can just make me play faster and react to things faster.”

Brandt, Guy and senior Kechaun Bennett emerging is one of the reasons why sophomore Enow Etta moved to defensive tackle from EDGE.

“I’ve played a little bit of EDGE, but I’ve been focusing more inside. We’re really deep at EDGE, so that’s one of the reasons they moved me inside,” Etta explained.

Etta was listed at 295 pounds last season, but he trimmed down to 265. He’s bulked back up since, though, with the Michigan staff moving him to tackle.

“I got to 265, and then they kinda told me they were gonna move me inside, so I needed to be bigger than that,” he explained. “In the spring, I was eating a little more, doing that, so I’m 285, 287 — I think yesterday I was 287. 

“I just want to have as much lean mass as possible. I don’t really have a number [in mind as a goal]. Any weight I can take on a double team and not get thrown around, that’s the perfect weight for me, I guess.”

Michigan strength coach Justin Tress has helped Etta’s transformation.

“He’s done a great job keeping things the way they’re supposed to be, keeping the guys in check,” Etta said. “So he’s on my ass every day. Sometimes in a 6 a.m. lift, I’ll be coming in a little tired, but he always makes sure to get the best out of me. He told me this summer is going to be huge for me, so I’m just ready to work every day.”

Michigan deeper than public realizes

Etta and his Michigan teammates have seen the doubt on social media regarding all the talent the Wolverines lost, which included 18 players invited to the NFL Combine. However, the sophomore is confident in his teammates and what’s on the roster.

“People were talking about what we’re gonna do with the receivers. We got great receivers here,” Etta stated. “We got great D-linemen. They’re asking about the depth, but we got guys like me trying to get better every day and trying to step up.

“I don’t think anybody should be worried. There are always people on Twitter that I see asking all these questions. But it’s a next-man-up mentality. That’s what they told us when we were young, and we’re learning it now because we’re the next people up.”

Etta broke down some of the players who have stood out on the Michigan defensive line, besides the obvious names.

[Sophomore defensive tackle Trey Pierce is a] great player,” Etta said. [Senior tackle Rayshaun] Benny, you could say he already stepped up because he was already in there. [Senior tackle] Ike Iwunnah, he’s been playing great. So we have a lot of depth behind [junior defensive tackles] Mason [Graham] and KG [Kenneth Grant].

“We have like two more waves of guys that are just working and getting better every day, getting the reps in practice. There were some practices that Mason and KG didn’t get a lot of reps, and it was just us young guys repping it out. I think one day I had like 10 plays in a row, just keep working. We’re just trying to get better every day.

“The EDGEs are looking good. [Michigan sophomore EDGEs] [Aymeric] Koumba, Breeon [Ishmail], [freshman early enrollee] Dom[inic] Nichols — those guys have been going crazy.”

And then Etta gave the splash quote: “A lot of people had questions about depth, but you guys are going to be so surprised when we go into the season. Guys you’ve never seen before making plays, going crazy. Y’all will feel dumb almost asking these questions about the depth.”

Breeon Ishmail breaks out in spring game

Ishmail, a 6-foot-3, 262-pound sophomore who redshirted last season, had a nice spring game. He had a tackle for loss, blowing up a play in the backfield, added a pressure on a near-interception and may have been held on a pass rush later in the game (but it wasn’t called).

“Breeon, he’s been doing good,” Brandt said. “He has a motor — he’ll go. Tell him anything, he’s gonna go — go do it and do it at a fast pace.”

“He’s been good,” Michigan junior tight end Marlin Klein said. “He’s just been getting better each day during spring, and just excited for him for what he’s going to do going into fall camp and throughout the season to make a name for himself.”