WATCH: Kenneth Grant, Jyaire Hill discuss Michigan fall camp
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill met with the media Monday morning. Watch video of Grant in the player at the top of the screen and Hill in the embed below.
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Grant discussed providing an interior pass rush and how he and fellow junior Mason Graham are intent on making quarterbacks’ lives difficult from that perspective.
“From an interior spot, me and Mason just collapsing that pocket is probably the biggest thing we have to do,” Grant said. “I’ve talked to some of the QBs, and they say that interior pressure is like different, it makes it so much harder. Just hearing that from the QBs … some of those rushes, I’m not even getting there and it’s still affecting them, just hearing that, it helps me a lot.”
Grant has received praise heading into the season, including being named the No. 3 ‘freak’ in the country by The Athletic. He said he’s blocking out that noise.
“I’m not really paying any attention to it now,” Grant said. “I mean, Coach [Justin] Tress and the ‘Freaks List,’ because he created that kinda for me. But I’m not really paying attention to it. I’m just focused on training camp and getting better every day.
“I definitely have high expectations for myself but also for the guys around me. I’m trying to never let Mason slack off or any of the guys slack off, just because they see all those lists and stuff. It’s just a collective effort.”
Grant said getting in better shape this offseason has been a key for him and the Michigan defense as a whole.
“I’ve been working on my conditioning, going more plays in a row,” Grant revealed. “[defensive coordinator] Coach Wink [Martindale] has been stressing that with me and Mason, just because we have bigger and more competition early.
“From a role standpoint, just being a better leader. We got a lot of young guys that count on us and do what we do, so just trying to lead by example and help them when they need help.”
Hill redshirted last season, not appearing in any games for Michigan after the fifth contest at Nebraska. He said he grew from last year.
“If they sat me on the sideline, it was for a reason,” Hill pointed out. “I just took it as get better, use that. Coming from high school, the play book, I had to learn the play book first before getting on the field.”
