A fall camp position switch for Michigan football veteran: 'He's already been moving up the depth chart'
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football senior Reece Atteberry has played in 12 career games over three seasons and has a log jam in front of him on the depth chart at guard, with two veterans highlighting the position in graduate Trevor Keegan and senior Zak Zinter. About halfway through fall camp heading into the 2023 season, Atteberry — a 6-5, 309-pounder out of Aurora (Colo.) Eaglecrest — made a position switch to defensive tackle.
One week, including a scrimmage, into being a defensive lineman, Atteberry appears to be already making an impact.
“He came in the room, what, like a week ago,” Michigan sophomore defensive tackle Kenneth Grant said. “I think he said he played D-line in high school, but he’s already been moving up on the depth chart. He’s doing really, really good.”
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Michigan has a top five at defensive tackle in senior Kris Jenkins, sophomores Mason Graham and Grant, junior Rayshaun Benny and graduate Cam Goode. However, there’s an opportunity for playing time behind them, and Atteberry could be in the mix. It’s still possible, too, that Atteberry could play both ways for Michigan, plus special teams.
Atteberry has seen this current Michigan defensive system from the other side of the line of scrimmage over the last two-plus years (and gone against U-M defenses in practices his entire career, of course). Grant said he’s picking things up quickly.
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“Just learning,” Grant said of what Atteberry has done best as a Michigan defensive lineman. “He’s very smart in the meeting room. He knows the concepts of the defense and how we run the defense. He just has to work on just the little things technique wise.”
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has maintained that the Wolverines have 10 starting-caliber offensive linemen. Even if Atteberry, who Harbaugh mentioned at his press conference early last week, was in that group, it’s unlikely all 10 will be able to play significant snaps this fall.
“We’re really 10 deep right now,” Harbaugh said, after naming nine offensive linemen and Atteberry being the 10th. “Reece Atteberry. There’s [sophomore] Andrew Gentry — how does he not get into the two deep? It’s been that been that kind of good for us. And they’re playing good, playing healthy. Everybody in there is doing a heck of a job.”
Atteberry has contributed on special teams in addition to being a reserve Michigan offensive lineman. He’s totaled 91 offensive snaps in his career, according to Pro Football Focus.
Michigan begins the 2023 season with a home game against East Carolina.
