Jim Harbaugh predicts 'beast' Michigan defender will go from unheralded to star 'like David Ojabo'

Coming into the 2021 season, Michigan Wolverines football outside linebacker David Ojabo was just a name. Those around the program knew he was a practice standout and that he had potential, but nobody in the college football world outside of Ann Arbor had him on their radar.

Before last year, Ojabo had played just 26 career snaps on defense. Last season, he saw 534 plays and became a breakout star. He notched 11 sacks, second on the team to fellow edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, and was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. He was a projected first-round NFL Draft pick before tearing his Achilles in the pre-draft process, then went No. 45 overall (second round) to the Baltimore Ravens.

With the departures of Ojabo, Hutchinson, linebacker Josh Ross, defensive backs Dax Hill and Brad Hawkins and others, Michigan is searching for others to make the leap from largely unknown to breakout player.

RELATED

• Michigan football health report: One defender questionable, but no ‘long-term’ injuries

• News and Views: On the Michigan QB race, O-line, etc

Speaking on the Inside Michigan Football Radio show Monday night, eighth-year Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh gave his pick for who he believes could be the next Ojabo: junior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.

Jenkins played 175 defensive snaps last season, the 11th-most on the unit, but he was overshadowed by some of the aforementioned standouts. His role wasn’t big quite yet, but the Wolverines will ask him to do much more this season. The 6-3, 285-pounder is a starter at Michigan’s end in the 3-4 front and will also play three-technique.

“I see a bunch of improvement in the interior of the line, when you look at [senior nose tackle] Mazi Smith,” Harbaugh said. “Kris Jenkins, I predict he will probably be the surest bet to be like David Ojabo was last year. Like, ‘Who the heck is Kris Jenkins? Where did he come from? How is he this good?’ He’s kind of a beast type of guy, and an infectious, great attitude as well.”

Considering it’s unlikely Michigan will be able to replace the production that the Hutchinson-Ojabo duo racked up last season, with their 25 combined sacks standing as a program record between two rushers, the Wolverines are looking for other ways to generate pressure and make plays in the backfield. That means blitzing more linebackers and defensive backs, but it also means the interior of the defensive line must be better.

That, combined with EDGE players stepping up, could get make for a formidable front line of the Michigan defense.

“The edge rushers, I’m looking at [graduate] Taylor Upshaw, [senior] Mike Morris and [junior] Jaylen Harrell as three guys that have the chance to give us similar production that we had last year,” Harbaugh explained. “Maybe it’s not going to be exact, but I bet we can, hopefully can, get close. And with an improved interior part of that line — Mazi, Kris. [Freshman] Kenneth Grant, surging. [Freshman] Mason Graham, surging player, [sophomore] Dominick Giudice is really doing some good things.

“And [Michigan sophomore] Rayshaun Benny — you look up one practice, then it’s three practices later and you’re seeing the same really good play, and better, and better, and better. Guys do get better. They improve by playing football, and they get some confidence, they get a counter move and then they get another counter move. They’ve got the ability to knock somebody off the ball, knock somebody back. Rayshaun can do that. Mason Graham can do that. Kenneth Grant certainly can do that. Mazi can do that. Kris Jenkins can do that, plus he’s got counter moves. It’s really good.”

Jim Harbaugh believes freshman EDGE Derrick Moore can become ‘unblockable’

Michigan’s head coach continued by discussing freshman EDGE Derrick Moore, who flashed in the April 2 spring game. Moore has some ground to make up on the depth chart, but he’s shown enough for Harbaugh to believe he could be an impact player at some point this season.

“Derrick Moore would be somebody who’s an edge rusher that also may really surge as the season goes on,” Harbaugh said. “It could get to the point where he’s unblockable, because he’s so strong and fast. As soon as he gets the motor of a Chase Winovich, of an Aidan Hutchinson, of a David Ojabo, then another counter move and a second counter move, he could be unblockable. So, there are some exciting things going on in that defensive line [room].”