The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
[ D E F E N S I V E L I N E ] 90 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW RETURNING PLAYERS KECHAUN BENNETT • DE So. • Suffield, Conn. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 241 • Appeared in one game last season vs. Northern Illinois (Sept. 18). • Helped his team to a 9-0 re- cord as a junior and the New England Prepara- tory School Athletic Council Bowl Champion- ship, before his senior season was canceled. • Tabbed as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 player in Connecticut and the No. 31 edge nationally by On3 Consensus. RAYSHAUN BENNY • DT So. • Detroit Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 292 • Played in three games last season and made 3 tackles. Named as the Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week during Rutgers prep. • Was named to The Detroit News Dream Team and MLive Dream Team as both a junior and senior. • Pegged as a four-star prospect, and the No. 22 defensive lineman and No. 185 overall player in his class by On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2021 3/0 3 0 0 DOMINICK GIUDICE • DT So. • Freehold, N.J. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 275 • Appeared in two games last season against Northern Illi- nois (Sept. 18) and Northwest- ern (Oct. 23). • First-team All-New Jersey pick by USA Today as a senior. • Viewed as a three-star prospect and the No. 28 player in New Jersey by On3 Consensus. TJ GUY • DE So. • Mansfield, Mass. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 251 • Played in two contests in 2021, with 2 tackles (1 for loss) and 1 sack. • Landed on the Massachusetts State Coaches All-Star Team as a junior in 2019. • Rated by On3 Consensus as a three-star recruit and the No. 5 player in Massachusetts. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2021 2/0 2 1 1 IKE IWUNNAH • DT So. • Garland, Texas Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 306 • Did not see game action in 2021. • All-district performer each of his final two seasons. • On3 Consensus ranked him as a three-star prospect. KRIS JENKINS • DT Jr. • Olney, Md. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 275 • Suited up in all 14 games last season with four starts. Made 22 tackles, shared a tackle for loss and 1 quarterback hurry. • Appeared in one game on the defensive line and special teams as a freshman in 2020. • Named Washington Catholic Athletic Confer- ence Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. • Ranked as a three-star recruit, the No. 18 player in Maryland and No. 31 edge by On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2020 1/0 0 0 0 2021 14/4 22 0.5 0 Totals 15/4 22 0.5 0 BRAIDEN MCGREGOR • DE Jr. • Port Huron, Mich. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 265 • Appeared in nine contests in 2021, making 5 tackles (1 for loss) and 1 quarterback hurry. • Did not see the field during his first year in 2020. • Enrolled early in January 2020. • Was a Detroit News Division 1-2 first-team All- State selection in 2018 and 2019; was named to the Division 2 first team by The Detroit Free Press in 2018. • Listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 player in Michigan and the No. 17 defensive lineman in the country by On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2020 DNP 2021 9/0 5 1 0 Totals 9/0 5 1 0 MIKE MORRIS • DE Sr. • Belle Glade, Fla. Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 278 • Played in all 14 games with four starts, racking up 17 tackles with 1 for loss and a shared sack (0.5). Broke up 2 passes, hauled in 1 interception and added 1 quarterback hurry. • Participated in one game on the defensive line and special teams during the 2020 campaign, making 1 tackle. • Did not see game action in 2019. • Tallied 89 stops, 25 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and a punt block for a touchdown during his senior season at American Heritage. • Named to the 2018 USA Today All-State second team. • Regarded by On3 Consensus as a four-star pros- pect, the No. 42 player in Florida and the No. 31 edge in the land. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2019 DNP 2020 1/0 1 0 0 2021 14/4 17 1 0.5 Totals 15/4 18 1 0.5 PLAYER BIOS POSITION COACH Mike Elston is in his first season with U-M as the team's defen- sive line coach in his return to his alma mater. Elston spent the last 12 years at Notre Dame under former head coach Brian Kelly. The Fighting Irish played in 11 bowl games during his tenure there, including two trips to the College Football Playoff and a BCS national championship game. His time at ND included 12 NFL draftees and six players selected in the last three years (2019-21). Elston coached the defensive line in 10 of his 12 seasons in South Bend, with a brief stop with the linebackers in 2015-16. He also was the team's recruiting coordinator from 2015-17 and again in 2021 and coordinated the special teams in 2010-11. The Notre Dame defense averaged 32.6 sacks per year in Elston's final five seasons, and the Irish played in either a New Year's Six bowl, BCS title or College Football Playoff four times in his 12 seasons. This is Elston's second stint on the Michigan staff after spending the 1993-96 seasons playing under both Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr. He remained with the program in 1997 as a student assistant and moved to a video intern in 1998. Elston spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons as a graduate assistant with the outside linebackers. Elston stayed local with his next coaching gig, heading just down the road to Eastern Michigan as the team's defensive ends coach in 2001 before taking over as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 2002-03. He linked up with Kelly the next season at Central Michigan, coaching the defensive line in 2004-05 and being named co- defensive coordinator for the 2005 season. Elston spent his final season in Mt. Pleasant coaching the linebackers and coordinating the special teams in 2006. Elston followed Kelly to Cincinnati in 2007 and wore a variety of hats, coordinating the team's recruiting efforts and special teams, and coaching tight ends from 2007-08. Elston was elevated to assistant head coach in 2009 while also coordinat- ing special teams and coaching the defensive line.