The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2023 M ichigan has a Mazi Smith-sized hole to fill in the middle of its de- fense this fall. The nose tackle spot has plenty of contenders to fill it, but nobody on the roster might be more tailor-made to do so than sophomore defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. Grant stands 6-foot-3, 356 pounds and moves like a man much lighter than he is. Michigan has a freakish ball of clay to mold and develop just as it had in Smith, who became a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft. For Grant, it is all about continuing to take steps forward in an expanded role. Smith's bread and butter was stop- ping the run, which is something he at- tempted to pass down to his successors. Grant is ready to take the baton as a dis- ruptor on the Michigan defense and go from there. "He's definitely a great run-stopper," Grant told The Wolverine while at team- mate Will Johnson's camp at Wayne State in June. "You pick up a lot of good tips and traits, like down-and-distance and all those types of things. Just slow down the game and pay attention to what situation you're in. "Mazi just said, 'Destroy the man first and worry about making the play later.' Because if you destroy the man first, your teammates will have a better opportu- nity to get to the man instead of you just looking to make a play." Playing defensive tackle, especially the nose tackle spot, means doing a lot of the dirty work that might not show up in a box score. Grant is ready to take on that mantle for Michigan. "I take pride in that," he said. "Some- body has to do the nitty-gritty stuff. So, somebody has to learn to love it to make the team successful and make the whole defense successful to get to where we want to go. Somebody has to step in and take that role." Being the hulkish athlete that Grant is, he knows that he will draw plenty of at- tention on the field. He wants it, whether he records a play that goes into the stat book or not. "It's kind of disrespectful when they don't double you," Grant said. "It's just like, why wouldn't you double the big- gest person on the field? Then also it's a part of embracing it. It's keeping your linebackers free. That's the whole part of it. "Just keep linebackers free so they can make plays and you can get off the field." Grant appeared in all 14 games as a true freshman at Michigan and made 8 total tackles. He was a four-star recruit and On3's No. 102 overall player and No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2022 recruit- ing class out of Merrillville, Ind. Grant also was No. 46 on Bruce Feld- man's "Freaks List" ahead of the 2022 season as a true freshman, a designation created to single out the most impressive athletes in college football. "He's just a menace," classmate and fellow defensive tackle Mason Graham said this offseason. "You see his body? You just see that body in the middle plugging gaps, shedding blocks … any- thing you need from a nose guard or a defensive tackle, he is it." Both Graham and Grant were called "gifts from the football gods" last season by head coach Jim Harbaugh, and both are expected to compete for starting roles in fall camp. — Anthony Broome FAVORABLE FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF JOSH WALLACE Michigan targeted several cornerback transfers earlier in the offseason but didn't wind up landing any, before reel- ing in former UMass starter Josh Wallace ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Kenneth Grant Ready To Put Advice From Mazi Smith Into Action 2023 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 2 EAST CAROLINA (Peacock) 12 p.m. Sept. 9 UNLV (CBS) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 16 BOWLING GREEN (BTN) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 RUTGERS 12 p.m. Sept. 30 at Nebraska TBA Oct. 7 at Minnesota TBA Oct. 14 INDIANA TBA Oct. 21 at Michigan State TBA Oct. 28 BYE — Nov. 4 PURDUE TBA Nov. 11 at Penn State (FOX) 12 p.m. Nov. 18 at Maryland TBA Nov. 25 OHIO STATE (FOX) 12 p.m. At 6-foot-3, 356 pounds, sophomore defensive tackle Kenneth Grant is the heir apparent to Mazi Smith in the middle of the Wolverines' defensive line. Grant made 8 tackles and saw action in all 14 games in 2022. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL