The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2023 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL rett, and Ernest Hausmann, and then the edge position with Braiden Mc- Gregor and Derrick Moore and Jaylen Harrell and Josaiah Stewart, Rayshaun Benny and Cam Goode — we can send waves at people and keep them fresh. "This is a long season, too, so having guys that will be there at the end of the season, knowing that you have that kind of depth … it's been a very, very impres- sive group for sure." Overall, Elston said, it's the best he's coached. "Anywhere I've been, yes, this is as good a front as I've had the privilege of coaching, without a doubt," Elston said. "From end to end, even at the second level, it's an impressive front seven." The coach added some insight into how the line was put together. "We're trying to recruit big, espe- cially along the defensive line," Elston said. "Guys like Kenneth and Mason, Kris. Rayshaun Benny. Those are the big D-tackles that you want. You want length, you want speed, you want power. We're trying to recruit big. In the 3-4 defense, you want big guys that can knock people back and play square and get off blocks … to build a wall along the offensive front." In three games, the Wolverines have racked up 24 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. So far, so good. — Chris Balas FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMEN IMPRESSING In addition to the veterans up front, Michigan's defensive line has some great talent waiting in the wings. De- fensive line coach Mike Elston is pleased with three true freshmen in particular. "Starting from the outside, Cam Brandt's been a great, great addition," Elston said. "He can do a lot of different things. He's played from the stand-up two-point, three-point in our base de- fense and given us really good depth in there. He's got some really good snaps over the last couple games … doing well on special teams." Brandt stands 6-foot-4, 277 pounds and should help anchor the front for years to come. They're all about build- ing that run wall, Elston noted, and it appears they've recruited the help they need in that area for the future. Texan Enow Etta (6-5, 295) is another who has come on during the last several weeks. "Enow, he's done a really nice job. Cam's a little further along with tech- nique and things he might have been coached in high school, and Enow's catching up quickly because it's im- portant to him," Elston continued. "He's very talented. … I have been very pleased with those two guys." On the interior, Michigan has another who has impressed while waiting his turn. "Trey Pierce, he's going to be really, really good," Elston said of the 6-foot- 2, 300-pounder. "We've been force- feeding him, trying to get him out there. He's played in both games … got a tackle in the UNLV game [a 35-7 Michigan win]. He's really good at block destruc- tion. He needs to work on his pass rush like a lot of incoming freshmen do, but it's important to him, and he works his tail off. Those three guys have played the most." Finally, Michigan freshmen Brooks Bahr and Aymeric Koumba are also im- proving, Elston said. He praised their work ethic and their progress, Bahr on the interior, Koumba on the outside. "You've got Brooks, who's a project. We knew he was a project," Elston said. "He learns well; I think he's going to pick it up really well, but the other guys were just a little bit further ahead of him in technique. But he will be a really good player down the road. "Koumba's a developmental project, as well. He came in from another coun- try, so he's got to learn some things — play consistent, play physical. He's got some good talent to him and a good up- side, though." All will likely make huge strides in the offseason, but for now, the Michi- gan coaches are extremely pleased with their progress. — Chris Balas OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 9 J.J. McCarthy 6-3 202 Jr./2 13 Jack Tuttle 6-4 210 Gr./1 RB 2 Blake Corum 5-8 213 Sr./2 7 Donovan Edwards 6-1 210 Jr./2 WR 6 Cornelius Johnson 6-3 208 Gr./1 0 Darrius Clemons 6-3 212 So./3 WR 8 Tyler Morris 5-11 185 So./3 5 Karmello English 5-11 190 Fr./4 Slot 1 Roman Wilson 6-0 192 Sr./2 3 Fredrick Moore 6-1 180 Fr./4 TE 18 Colston Loveland 6-5 245 So./3 89 AJ Barner 6-6 251 Sr./2 LT 73 LaDarius Henderson 6-4 315 Gr./1 or 52 Karsen Barnhart 6-5 316 Gr./2 LG 77 Trevor Keegan 6-6 320 Gr./2 58 Giovanni El-Hadi 6-5 318 Jr./3 C 60 Drake Nugent 6-2 301 Gr./2 51 Greg Crippen 6-4 309 Jr./3 RG 65 Zak Zinter 6-6 322 Sr./2 75 Andrew Gentry 6-7 327 So./4 RT 52 Karsen Barnhart 6-5 316 Gr./2 or 78 Myles Hinton 6-6 340 Sr./2 DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. EDGE 32 Jaylen Harrell 6-4 242 Sr./2 5 Josaiah Stewart 6-1 245 Jr./2 EDGE 17 Braiden McGregor 6-6 267 Sr./2 8 Derrick Moore 6-3 258 So./3 NT 55 Mason Graham 6-3 318 So./3 78 Kenneth Grant 6-3 339 So./3 DT 94 Kris Jenkins 6-3 305 Sr./2 26 Rayshaun Benny 6-4 296 Jr./3 Mike 25 Junior Colson 6-3 247 Jr./2 34 Jaydon Hood 6-1 225 Jr./3 Will 23 Michael Barrett 6-0 239 Gr./1 15 Ernest Hausmann 6-2 237 So./3 NK 0 Mike Sainristil 5-10 182 Gr./1 18 Ja'Den McBurrows 5-11 200 Jr./3 CB 2 Will Johnson 6-2 202 So./3 36 Kechaun Harris 5-11 192 Gr./2 CB 12 Josh Wallace 6-0 190 Gr./1 20 Jyaire Hill 6-2 181 Fr./4 SS 7 Makari Paige 6-4 208 Sr./2 10 Zeke Berry 5-11 192 So./4 FS 3 Keon Sabb 6-1 208 So./4 28 Quinten Johnson 5-11 200 Gr./2 MICHIGAN'S UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PK 32 James Turner 6-0 196 Gr./1 99 Adam Samaha 5-11 185 Fr./4 P 19 Tommy Doman 6-4 215 Jr./3 90 Hudson Hollenbeck 6-2 208 So./4 LS 49 William Wagner 6-2 255 Gr./2 45 Greg Tarr 6-2 205 Sr./3 Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. KR 20 Kalel Mullings 6-2 239 Sr./2 1 Roman Wilson 6-0 192 Sr./2 PR 26 Jake Thaw 6-1 192 Sr./2 or 8 Tyler Morris 5-11 185 So./3 SPECIAL TEAMS