The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2020 THE WOLVERINE 7 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Senior Defensive End Kwity Paye Michigan senior defensive end Kwity Paye was deemed the top "freak" athlete in college football by The Athletic's Bruce Feldman in late July. Paye recently joined former U-M All-American Jon Jansen on his "In The Trenches" podcast, and here's how he responded to several questions: Jon Jansen: You and [ junior defensive end] Aidan Hutchin- son have played together for a couple years now and seem to complement each other. What do you two bring to the table? Kwity Paye: "Me and Aidan on the edges is possibly the best duo in the country. We're going to come back and do our thing. "… Aidan is at anchor, where it's tighter in front of him. He'll kick butt all day. We both are re- ally strong in the weight room, competing with each other to see who is stronger, but we're both athletic as hell." Jansen: What does it mean to have [nose tackle] Carlo Kemp returning for a fifth year? Paye: "You saw last year … he played most games injured. Some days he was struggling to walk, but he's a leader and still wanted to play games and was giv- ing it his all." Jansen: What are your expectations of the defensive line overall, and who are some of the young guys you expect to step up? Paye: "I think the D-line room is going to be phenomenal this year. [Sophomore tackle] Chris Hinton started some games last year, and I feel like he's coming into his own. Being a true freshman as a three-technique, it's not easy being in the trenches. I feel he'll step up big time. "I'm excited because we have ballers behind us, too. [Redshirt junior end] Luiji Vilain, [redshirt freshman] David Ojabo is going to come up … that's an athletic three. [Redshirt freshman tackle] Mazi Smith. "I feel like spring ball being lost was kind of a bummer because it's time for those guys to shine, take some more reps, work on their craft a little more. And [redshirt freshman end] Gabe [Newburg] is huge — it was, 'Oh my God!'" Jansen: How anxious are you to get one last shot at Ohio State and the other teams that beat you last year? Paye: "I'm excited for them. Those are considered our biggest competitors this year. To be able to go and play those guys, get back at Wisconsin and Penn State … we've gone back and forth with those schools since I've been here. "Hopefully we can end on a good note against those teams my senior year." Jansen: What's it going to take to beat the Buckeyes? Paye: "We're enforcing that hate a lot more. I feel like at times we hate them, but we have to instill it to the freshmen coming in that we hate those guys. Not, 'Oh, my boy goes to that school' … no. "We have to install into their brain. And after every Saturday when I'm done with our game, I'm turning on the TV to see what they are doing every single Saturday." — Chris Balas Paye was a three-star recruit out of Rhode Island with offers only from schools like Boston College, Rutgers and Syracuse besides Michigan, but has emerged as one of the Big Ten's best defensive ends. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL (Item #1365) CUSTOM GRILL COVER Commercial grade, breathable vinyl with moisture vent and buckle clasps • Black w/ maize Block M logo in UV resistant ink AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES: Small: 60" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $51.95 + $15.00 S&H Large: 72" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $54.95 + $15.00 S&H Grill covers are made to order and shipped direct from manufacturer. Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. Returns not related to damage or manufacturer error may incur restocking fee. GRILL MAT (Item #1256) $49.95 + FREE S&H Grill mats are made to order and shipped direct from manufacturer. Returns not related to damage are not available. SPORTULA (Item #1220) LAST ONE! $14.95 + $6.50 S&H (Reg. $24.95) DELIVERY LIMITED TO CONTINENTAL U.S. PLEASE ADD SALES TAX FOR ITEMS SHIPPING TO: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) THE WOLVERINE PO Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 TheWolverineOnDemand.com 1-800-421-7751