The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133482
THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 97 DEFENSIVE LINE THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 97 DEFENSIVE LINE PHILLIP PAEA • DT R-So. • Berrien Springs, Mich. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 296 • Appeared in two games at right and left guard during his red- shirt freshman season. • Tabbed as a MaxPreps All- American and was named to The Detroit News All-State Dream Team in 2015 and 2016. • Listed by Rivals as a three-star recruit, the No. 10 player in Michigan and the No. 20 offensive guard in the country. KWITY PAYE • DE Jr. • Providence, R.I. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 260 • Recorded 29 total stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, a pass deflection and a forced fumble over 13 appearances in 2018. • Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media. • Played in nine contests as a freshman, and reg- istered five total stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. • Named the 2016 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year and USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year for the state. • Rated by Rivals as a three-star recruit and the No. 35 weakside defensive end in the country. TAYLOR UPSHAW · DE R-Fr. · Bradenton, Fla. Ht.: 6-4 · Wt.: 246 • Did not see game action in 2018. • Tallied 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and one in- terception his final season at Braden River. • Regarded by Rivals as a three-star prospect, the No. 75 overall player in Florida and the No. 25 strongside defensive end in the land. LUIJI VILAIN • DE R-So. • Ottawa, Ontario Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 255 • Has yet to see game action in his career at Michigan. • Compiled 45 tackles and eight sacks, plus recovered one fum- ble in the end zone for a touchdown, as a senior at Episcopal en route to first-team All-State hon- ors from USA Today. • Rated as a four-star recruit, and the No. 5 weak- side defensive end and No. 74 overall prospect nationally by Rivals. JULIUS WELSCHOF · DE R-Fr. · Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany Ht.: 6-6 · Wt.: 253 • Redshirted his first season at Michigan. • Played defensive end and tight end for the Munich Cowboys in Germany. • Rated by Rivals as a three-star prospect. NEWCOMERS MIKE DANNA · DE 5th-Sr. · Detroit Ht.: 6-2 · Wt.: 257 • Graduate transfer from Central Michigan, where he was the 2018 team MVP and a Pro Football Focus first-team All-American. • First-team All-Mid-American Conference choice after he started all 12 games in 2018 and ranked third on the team with 66 tackles. Also led CMU with 15 tackles for loss (nobody else had more than eight), 9.5 sacks (nobody else had more than four) and three forced fumbles. • Started three times and played in all 13 games during the 2017 season, and notched 54 tackles. He also finished second with 8.5 tackles for loss. • Played in 13 games in 2016 with one start, and recorded 31 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. • Set single-season school records for tackles for loss (20) and sacks (10) as a prep senior, helping his team to a Division 2 state title. • Made the All-State Dream Teams that year done by Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and MLive. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2016 13/1 31 4.5 1.5 2017 13/3 54 8.5 4 2018 12/12 66 15 9.5 Total 38/16 151 28.0 15.0 CHRIS HINTON · DT Fr. · Johns Creek, Ga. Ht.: 6-4 · Wt.: 285 • Recorded 49 total stops, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks during his senior season as a captain at Greater Atlanta Christian School. • Named to the MaxPreps' Small School All-Amer- ica first team in 2018, and The Atlanta Journal- Constitution's All-State first team in 2017 and 2018. • Awarded the 2018 Lineman of the Year in Re- gion 7AAA. • Competed in the All-American Bowl and notched one tackle and recovered a fumble. • Tabbed by Rivals as a five-star prospect, and the No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 15 overall talent in the nation. MIKE MORRIS · DE Fr. · Belle Glade, Fla. Ht.: 6-6 · Wt.: 258 • Tallied 89 stops, 25 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a punt block for a touchdown during his senior season at American Heritage. • Recorded 13 sacks as a freshman and notched 31 tackles for loss as a junior. • Named to the 2018 USA Today All-State second team. • Regarded by Rivals as a four-star prospect, the No. 42 player in Florida and the No. 18 weakside defensive end in the land. GABE NEWBURG · DE Fr. · Clayton, Ohio Ht.: 6-5 · Wt.: 237 • Enrolled early for the spring semester at U-M. • Combined for 104 tackles, 23.5 stops for loss, 12.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in his last two seasons at Northmont. • Finished his career as the all-time leader at Northmont with 20 sacks. • Landed on the 2018 Division I All-Ohio first team and the 2018 USA Today All-State second team. • Tabbed a three-star recruit and the No. 35 overall recruit in Ohio by Rivals. DAVID OJABO · DE Fr. · Aberdeen, Scotland Ht.: 6-4 · Wt.: 252 • Enrolled early for the spring semester at U-M. • Recorded 85 tackles, 18 sacks and four forced fumbles over his last two seasons at Blair Acad- emy in New Jersey. • Landed on the 2018 All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League first team and was named to the second team in 2017. • Won the 2018 state title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.93 seconds. • Ranked by Rivals as a three-star prospect, the No. 12 player in New Jersey and the No. 34 strong- side defensive end in the country. MAZI SMITH · DT Fr. · Grand Rapids, Mich. Ht.: 6-3 · Wt.: 303 • Enrolled early for the spring semester at U-M. • Tallied 81 tackles, 18 stops for loss and three forced fumbles in his senior season at East Kent- wood. • Selected to the USA Today All-State first team in 2018 and named to The Detroit News Dream Team in 2018. • Participated in the Under Armour All-American Game and recorded a tackle. • Regarded by Rivals as a four-star talent, and the No. 9 defensive tackle and No. 142 overall player in the country. Defensive coordinator Don Brown noted red- shirt sophomore tackle Donovan Jeter has greatly improved over the last year. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN