The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 95 reasons we won the national championship here last year was because of the depth up front, and I think that's what we have to keep building." But when the game is on the line — and given this year's challenging schedule fea- turing preseason top-5 teams Texas, Oregon and Ohio State, along with USC, Wash- ington and others, that could be frequently — odds are Moore will be out there expected to make more game-winning plays. To do that, he understands he'll have to take his pass rush to another level. He notched 5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss last year, and he is just coming into his own as a pass rusher. Getting to the quarterback was a point of emphasis in the spring, and it will be again in fall camp. "I've been targeting a lot of different ar- eas," Moore said during Michigan's spring practices. "I'm focusing on learning the different angles when rushing against an offensive lineman, how to set up my pass- rush moves and knowing their tendencies. I know how to play off all my rushes. Then when it comes down to the fourth quarter, I'm able to make a play. I'm just working on my rush angles right now." It's hard to imagine what Moore's next chapter features given how much he's al- ready accomplished in his short time at Michigan. The enormity of it hit him after the Rose Bowl win, even before the Wolver- ines faced Washington in the CFP National Championship game. "It takes a lot to get here," Moore said. "Never in my life did I think I'd be on a na- tional elite stage. It's a great feeling just to be here right now. When we win it all, it's going to be an even better feeling." He did, it was … and now he's ready to make another run at it in an even big- ger role, excited to be the featured pass rusher on what should be an elite Michi- gan defense. If it plays out as it has for several of the outstanding edges preceding him, we'll be reading about his impact for several more Saturdays and dozens of Sundays to come. ❑ Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh put dozens of players in the NFL, many of them on the defensive side of the ball. Of all position groups, his defensive ends might be the most impressive — a handful in the NFL and several others who helped lead the Wolverines to 86 victories during Harbaugh's tenure. Here are the five best edges Harbaugh and Co. developed and what they're doing now. 5. Kwity Paye (2017-20): Paye broke out as a junior at Michigan in 2019 when he notched 50 tackles, including 12.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks with 3 quarterback hurries. Paye's senior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. He went to Indianapo- lis in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has been very good with the club, earning all-rookie honors after notching 32 tackles and 4 sacks in his first season. He's recorded 14.5 sacks in the two seasons since to earn a contract extension. 4. Rashan Gary (2016-18): The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country out of high school, Gary had a very good Michigan career but never became the dominant force many predicted. He recorded 9.5 sacks in three years, was slowed with a shoulder injury in his junior year and opted for the NFL Draft after the season. He's dominated with Green Bay (first round, No. 12 overall in 2019) in recent years and registered 31.5 sacks over five seasons. Playing at linebacker for the Packers, Gary signed a $107.5 million contract extension in 2023. 3. Josh Uche (2016-19): Uche had a huge season in 2019 and was the team's defensive player of the year after notching 8.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, earn- ing second-team All-Big Ten honors as mainly a situational player. He went No. 60 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft to New England and has emerged as an outstanding pass rusher. He broke out with 11.5 sacks in 2022, notching a pair of 3-sack games, and has 18.5 career sacks in his three seasons. He signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Patriots in 2024. 2. Chase Winovich (2014-18): Winovich earned second- and third-team All- America honors in 2018 after a season in which he notched 69 total tackles, 17 for loss and 5 sacks. He switched from linebacker to tight end before finally settling in on the edge, where he became a disruptive force for defensive coordinator Don Brown. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, went in the third round (No. 77 overall) to the New England Patriots in 2019, and registered 11 sacks in his first two seasons with the Pats. He retired from the NFL in 2023 after five seasons. 1. Aidan Hutchinson (2018-2021) — Nobody knew how good the legacy would be — not even his father, former Michigan All-America defensive lineman Chris Hutchinson (1992), who asked former teammates to look at his son's film to see if he was good enough to play at U-M. He proved to be one of the Wolverines' all-time best, a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year in 2021, the Lombardi Award winner (best college football lineman) and more. "Hutch" notched 14 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2021 and went to the Detroit Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He's had an outstanding start to his pro career, making the all-rookie team in 2022 and the Pro Bowl in 2023. — Chris Balas The Golden Age Of Michigan Edge Rushers Aidan Hutchinson recorded 14 sacks and 15 tackles for loss for U-M in 2021 and went to the Detroit Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl in 2023. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN