The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
D E F E N S I V E L I N E 90 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW KENNETH GRANT • DT Jr. • Merrillville, Ind. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 339 • Checked into 15 games with five starts in 2023, recording 29 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, 5 passes defended, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery, • An All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches; third team, media). • Shared U-M's Woodley-Graham Award as the team's top defensive lineman or outside line- backer with classmate Mason Graham. • Named U-M's Most Improved Player (Defense) in 2023. • Appeared in all 14 contests and made 8 tackles as a freshman in 2022. • Four-star year starter at Merrillville High who helped team to 40-9 career record. Had 38 tackles (14.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and 2 passes defended as a senior. Also forced 4 fumbles, recovering 2, and blocked 4 field goals, 2 punts and 2 extra points. Played on offense at guard. • Multiple-sport athlete who also lettered in track and field. State meet qualifier and top-10 shot put thrower in school history. • Rated a four-star recruit, the No. 102 player na- tionally and 14th-ranked defensive lineman in the country by On3.com. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2022 14/0 8 0 0 2023 15/5 29 5 3.5 Total 29/5 37 5 3.5 TJ GUY • EDGE Sr. • Mansfield, Mass. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 250 • Played in 11 games in 2023, making 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 quarter- back hurry. • Appeared in 10 outings in 2022, tallying 4 tackles, including 2 against UConn. • Played in two contests in 2021, with 2 tackles (1 for loss) and 1 sack. • Rated by On3 Industry Ranking as a three-star recruit and the No. 5 player in Massachusetts. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2021 2/0 2 1 1 2022 10/0 4 0 0 2023 11/0 10 1.5 1 Totals 23/0 16 2.5 2 BREEON ISHMAIL • EDGE So. • Hamilton, Ohio So.: 6-3 • Wt.: 262 • Did not see game action in 2023. • Named second-team All-Ohio as a senior at Princeton High in 2022, when he totaled 64 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recov- eries and 2 interceptions. • Made 38 tackles with 1 sack as a junior, while also scoring 2 touchdowns on offense. • Regarded as a three-star prospect and the 37th- best player in Ohio per the On3 Industry Ranking. IKE IWUNNAH • DT Sr. • Garland, Texas Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 313 • Named defensive Scout Team Player of the Week vs. East Car- olina on Sept. 2. • Has not seen game action through three seasons. • All-district performer each of his final two prep seasons. • On3 Industry Ranking slotted him as a three-star prospect. AYMERIC KOUMBA • EDGE So. • Bordeaux, France Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 254 • Appeared in one game in 2023. • Named Scout Team Player of the Week vs. Rutgers Sept. 23. • The first player from France to sign with U-M, Koumba competed with the Pion- niers de Touraine organization while attending school at Lycée Alfred Kastler. • Led the Pionniers to a French championship in summer 2022. • Pegged as a three-star recruit by the On3 Industry Ranking. ALESSANDRO LORENZETTI • DT Jr. • Montreal, Québec, Canada Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 301 • Has not seen game action through two seasons. • Helped Loomis Chaffee in Windsor, Conn., to a 9-1 record during the 2021 season. • A 2022 recruit ranked as the No. 3 player in Con- necticut by Rivals.com. TYLER McLAURIN • EDGE Sr. • Bolingbrook, Ill. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 247 • Did not see game action in 2023. • Appeared in four games but did not record any statistics in 2022. • Moved from linebacker to edge ahead of the 2022 campaign. • Saw action in two outings at linebacker in 2021, keeping his redshirt season, and was named De- fensive Scout Team Player of the Year. • Regarded by the On3 Industry Ranking as a three- star prospect and the No. 52 linebacker in the country. DERRICK MOORE • EDGE Jr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 258 • Appeared in all 15 games last season, making 34 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recov- ery (returned for TD vs. Maryland), 4 quarterback hurries and 2 passes defended. • Honorable mention All-Big Ten selection (coaches and media). • Played in all 14 games with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and 1 pass breakup as a freshman in 2022. • Selected to the Under Armour All-American Game and earned MVP honors after 2 sacks in the showcase. • Also named 2021 MaxPreps Maryland High School Football Player of the Year. • On3 Industry Ranking rated Moore the No. 37 prospect in the class, fifth-best edge and second- ranked player in Maryland. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2022 14/0 8 2 2 2023 15/0 34 6 5 Total 29/0 42 8 7 TREY PIERCE • DT So. • Chicago Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 300 • Appeared in 13 games, making 2 total tackles in 2023. • Notched 58 tackles with 19 stops for loss and 3.5 sacks as a prep senior at Brother Rice High. • Named first-team all-state by The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana) and to the Chicago Sun- Times All-Area team as a senior in 2022. • A three-star prospect, the No. 53 defensive line- man in the country and the seventh-best player in Illinois by the On3 Industry Ranking. JOSAIAH STEWART • EDGE Jr. • Bronx, N.Y. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 245 • Appeared in 15 games last season, leading U-M defensive lineman with 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries and 2 passes defended. • Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition (coaches) in 2023. • Named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after notching 5 tackles and 2 sacks at Nebraska on Sept. 30. • Transferred from Coastal Carolina, where he was a two-time All-Sun Belt performer (first team, 2021; second team, 2022) • Played in 12 games with 11 starts in 2022, total- ing 36 tackles with 10 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass breakup. • Set Coastal Carolina's single-season sack record