The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508023
OCTOBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 was getting there. His presence was felt." Defensive line coach Mike Elston must have felt like he won the lottery with what he saw coming from Notre Dame last year. He inherited both Graham and Grant — not responsible for recruiting either of them, he acknowledged — but has helped turn them into huge contributors in a short period of time. It helped that the two of them became fast friends, Graham said in the offseason. The two freshmen clicked immediately, and they've been playing off each other ever since. "It's an everyday battle," Grant said of what they learn from each other. "Every time we go onto the field, after a play, we look at the play. He tells me things that I could do better, and I tell him things that he could do better. It's just getting to know each other — I wouldn't say getting to know each other, but know- ing each other's tendencies and trying to fix them. "… He has a really good pass-rush game. He's very stout and strong. You wouldn't think he's strong, but he's really strong." And Grant? Well, he's just a "freak" when it comes to what he can accomplish at his size, Elston said. He always had a high ceiling because of his natural ability. It's been his willingness to learn, though, that has made him into a budding young star. Elite defensive linemen are hard to come by, but Grant has all the tools, as does Graham. They aren't exactly alike, but the results are similar. "He's long and athletic for 339 pounds," Elston said of Grant. "He can run. He never gets tired. You watch the spring game from this year, he was out there for every single play, and the first play looked like the last play. "The amount of effort and versatility, I'm super excited for both of those young guys. Coach Harbaugh and the staff, be- fore I got here, they recruited those two guys and did a great job of evaluating them and bringing them in. They're go- ing to be future stars for us." Given what they've already shown this year, it's clear they're well on their way. ❏ Grant was one of U-M's defensive players of the game against both East Carolina and UNLV. Through three games, he was tied for the team lead with 2.5 tackles for loss. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL