The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1094509
42 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2019 2019 SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW. DEFENSIVE LINE WHO'S GONE DEFENSIVE END CHASE WINOVICH Winovich proved the heartbeat of Michigan's de- fense last year, earning team MVP honors and gut- ting out a bowl game when others chose not to do so. His attitude — and his 185 career stops, including 18 sacks and 44.5 tackles for loss — will be missed. DEFENSIVE END RASHAN GARY Gary missed three games during the 2018 season with injury, and the Peach Bowl as a business deci- sion. He racked up 136 tackles in his three-year Mich- igan career, with 10 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. DEFENSIVE TACKLE BRYAN MONE Mone proved a solid run-stuffer when he was healthy for the Wolverines. He stayed that way in his final season, starting the first 11 games. Although he never provided big numbers (13 tackles in 2018) he was still named honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches. WHO'S BACK SENIOR DEFENSIVE END JOSH UCHE Uche was one of Michigan's most effective pass rushers in 2018, notching seven sacks among eight tackles for loss. He's played linebacker and defensive end, but should shore up the line this year. SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE CARLO KEMP Kemp requested a move to the interior of Michi- gan's defensive line last year and made it pay off. He wound up a full-time starter, securing 17 stops with 2.5 tackles for loss. He should be an anchor for Michigan's revamped line in 2019. JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END KWITY PAYE Paye played in all 13 Michigan games last sea- son, flexing some muscle when others were sidelined by injury and starting four times in place of Gary. He recorded 29 tackles, including a pair of sacks among 5.5 tackles for loss, and should be a strong presence for the Wolverines. REDSHIRT JUNIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE MICHAEL DWUMFOUR Dwumfour also plugged in when injuries hit, play- ing in all 13 games with two starts in 2018. His 21 tackles included three sacks among four tackles for loss, plus he snared an interception. SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE END AIDAN HUTCHINSON Hutchinson showed great promise at times, play- ing in all 13 games as a true freshman. He posted 15 tackles with 1.5 TFLs, and will see a huge opportu- nity this spring. TOP NEWCOMER FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRISTOPHER HINTON The Rivals.com five-star defensive tackle and No. 15 overall prospect out of Georgia looks college ready at 6-4, 285. He'll get a chance to compete early on and prove he was worthy of his lofty re- cruiting rankings. "We know what [former U-M All-American] Chris [Hutchinson] did when he was in the maize and blue. Aidan is like that, but a little bit taller, a little bit faster, a little bit longer, a little bit stronger." — Former U-M All-American Jon Jansen QUOTABLE POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH Kwity Paye, Josh Uche, Aidan Hutchin- son and grad-transfer Mike Danna — a first-team All-American by Pro Foot- ball Focus last year at Central Michi- gan — should form a solid combo off the edge. The question is, can injury- plagued redshirt sophomore Luiji Vilain (or someone else) join the party? BY JOHN BORTON T here's turnover, and then there's turnover. Michigan not only lost 75 percent of its starting front wall of defenders from the 2018 season, it lost the man training them. Long-time Michigan assistant Greg Mattison's departure for Ohio State had to be met with a next-man-up reaction, and Shaun Nua — formerly Navy's defensive line coach — is that man. His cupboard's not bare, but some dependable dishes need to be replaced, and quickly. It's enough to regard Michigan's 2019 front as an extreme makeover. Nua's crew will go a long way in determining whether defensive coordina- tor Don Brown's defense carries on its (top three nationally) business as usual or takes a step back. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN JOSH UCHE BY THE NUMBERS 18 Career starts made by those returning to Michigan's defen- sive front, 12 of them last season by Carlo Kemp. 23rd Michigan's national finish in rushing de- fense in 2018. The Wolverines yielded an average of 127.4 yards per game. 28.5 The number of ca- reer sacks lost from the departing defen- sive linemen, led by Chase Winovich's 18. The returners boast 14, led by Josh Uche's seven. 34th The Wolverines' na- tional ranking in team sacks last season. They averaged 2.62 sacks a game, tied with To- ledo, LSU, Notre Dame and North Texas.