Michigan football: 'Elite pass rusher' emerging on interior of defensive line, added emphasis on pass game

Michigan Wolverines football has been run heavy under ninth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Maize and Blue ran on 61.9 percent of their offensive plays in 2022, averaging 238.9 rushing yards per game, the fifth most in the country. But this season, the Wolverines say they’re looking to become more balanced. Harbaugh even predicted their run-pass split will be around 50-50. So far in fall camp, five practices in, Harbaugh has put his money where his mouth is.

Michigan has been in ‘thud’ for the most part so far, meaning team drills aren’t live with tackling. With that, the Wolverines have been repping more pass plays. That’s allowed the offense to get in a better rhythm through the air, and the pass rushers to get in a groove coming after the quarterback.

“I can promise you, we’ve passed the ball a lot these last couple practices, and the D-line has gotten a lot of work on their pass-rush moves,” Michigan senior right guard Zak Zinter said with a laugh. “But it is a big focus this year. We know we can run the ball when we want to; even if they know we’re going to run the ball, we can run it. But the pass rush and passing in general has definitely been an emphasis for us this camp, and it’s been going really well for us.”

RELATED
• J.J. McCarthy on Michigan defensive line: ‘They’re getting to me’ 
• Michigan football ranks No. 2 in preseason coaches poll

Michigan ranked 33rd nationally with 2.64 sacks per game last season. Only 6.5 of the team’s 37 sacks in 2022 came from the interior of the defensive line, with the rest credited to the edge rushers, linebackers and secondary. Senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said in January he and the rest of the line were “obsessing over” pass rush, viewing it as a potential missing piece to taking the next step and winning the national title after making the CFP the last two seasons.

Jenkins, a 6-foot-3, 305-pounder who recorded 2 sacks last season, has stepped up in a major way, Zinter revealed, referring to his teammate as ‘Jenks.’

“Kris Jenks is an elite pass rusher right now,” Zinter said. “The first few days getting the pads back on, he’s one of those dudes where it’s like, ‘Alright, I’ve gotta lock into my set here, because Kris is going to make a move.’

“I don’t think I’m going to get a better pass rusher on the interior than Kris Jenks all year, and I get to go against him in camp, all camp, and throughout the season, so it’s been great work.”

He’s not alone, either. The Michigan lineman pointed to sophomores Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant as two more defensive lineman who have “focused on their pass rush this offseason and definitely gotten better.”

Zinter was asked who has the advantage between he and Jenkins.

“You know, Kris Jenks, it’s a battle in there,” Zinter said with a sigh and a smile. “He’s got the bull, he’s got the speed to power, he’s got the twitchiness. It’s been tough blocking Kris so far this camp, but we’re knocking the rust off.”

Improved pass rush from the Michigan interior defensive line will likely show up on the stat sheet if the strides are legitimate. However, the individual stats can be a bit deceiving. Zinter explained how Jenkins can help generate a sack without actually being the one to bring the quarterback down.

“It’s a combination of everything,” said Zinter, a 6-foot-6, 322-pounder who was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten performer in 2022, discussing Jenkins. “His get-off is crazy right now. He lines up as a wide 3, angled in, and you’re thinking, alright, he’s going to maybe make an inside move here. Then his get-off and then he tries to pick the tackle’s hip and you have to readjust and pass off to the tackle.

“So they don’t get as many sacks because a lot of time they’re taking up the guard and the tackle, trying to pass things off, letting the D-end get the sack. He has great leverage, too, is able to get up underneath your pads and bull, spin move. He’s just kinda got everything in the bag right now.”

And that’s great news for a Michigan team that needs everything it can get out of its potential breakout star.