The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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D E F E N S I V E L I N E M E N 88 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW in his 14 game appearances. He started three games and will — along with Payne — bol- ster an already solid Michigan front. "The biggest thing was do they fit our system?" Esposito said of the transfer duo. "We're going to build a run wall, so you have to be stout inside, you have to hold good edges, and you have to have guys who have an ability to do that. "We play an NFL-style defense. We're going to hold the point, we're going to be firm, and we're going to build a run wall. Those guys fit into our system." Pierce secured 7 tackles in 13 games last season and earned a starting nod against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl alongside Etta, who finished the year with 4 tackles, a half sack and a pass breakup in 10 games. Iwunnah played in 11 games in 2024, making 7 tackles with 1 TFL. He also as- sisted in producing a crucial sack against Alabama in the tide-turning, first-quar- ter defensive tsunami. Several talented freshmen are also getting initially plugged into the machine that has been the Michigan middle for a while now, and they'll learn behind a core that will wear on people, according to their coach. "If you go down the roster, Damon Payne is 303 pounds," Esposito noted. "Enow's 308 pounds. Trey Pierce is 315 pounds. Benny is about 300 pounds. Tré Williams is 315 pounds. Those six guys are really big. Football is still a game of big people leaning on little people. When you take somebody and move them where they don't want to go, sometimes if you're bigger, it's a little bit easier. Especially later in the game." Meanwhile, Michigan's edge rushers will put offenses on edge, and fans on the edge of their seats. Moore and Guy should bring the heat, but again, they're not the only weapons to attack the ends of the line. Coming into his own as a leader, Moore's 23 tackles last season included 4 sacks and 6 TFLs, with a pair of pass breakups, 4 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Two of his sacks and the fumble recovery came in the postseason against Alabama, where he made an in- delible impression and sparked visions of future quarterback decimation. Guy also emerged in a big way last year, his 32 stops including 5.5 sacks and 7 TFLs, with a half-dozen quarterback hurries. With a combined seven seasons of playing experience, the duo will repre- sent more than just a pair of guys. Sher- rone Moore guarantees it, and his D-line coach agrees. "We make cut-ups and teach tapes, and you can go back three years, and both those guys are on the field, making plays," Esposito said. "They've played so much football here. They've seen so many dif- ferent things. The thing that has jumped out to me is the leadership. They've done an unbelievable job with leadership. Der- rick Moore is calling the defense up. TJ Guy is calling the defense up. "Those guys have been great leaders, and they feel the same way we do. Last year, we didn't perform up to what we want to be. They're going to do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't happen again, which has been great." Nichols became part of the post- spring game buzz with his rushing pres- ence. He appeared in five games last year as a freshman, with 3 tackles and a forced fumble, all of that but one tackle coming against Alabama. He's ready for more, Michigan players and coaches agree. STARTER ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ Michigan can again bring it in waves along the defensive line, and the talent is such that the Wolverines will again be a massive problem for opponents up front. The edge rushers, senior Derrick Moore and grad TJ Guy, have played a lot of snaps — and very effective ones. They'll team with one of the linebackers, senior Jaishawn Barham, to bring an extreme amount of heat off the edges. Up the middle, the Wolverines feature a half dozen players who can get the job done, such as grad Rayshaun Benny and recent grad transfer Tré Williams, from Clemson. Benny's comments about the way Michigan has restocked — comparing the depth to the national championship D-line of 2023 — deliver an unmistakable tipoff regarding how the players themselves see the line stacking up. There will be big tests — on the road at Oklahoma and USC, along with the final regular-season showdown against Ohio State — but this crew stands ready to meet the challenge. DEPTH ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sherrone Moore insists the Wolverines feature 10 performers fully ready to go up front, defensively, and that in itself should keep this crew from wearing down. Beyond Benny and Williams, the go-to tackles are grad Damon Payne Jr., junior Trey Pierce, junior Enow Etta and grad Ike Iwunnah. Coming on behind Moore and Guy are hard-charging junior Cam Brandt and sophomore Dom Nichols. Plenty of coaches will envy Michigan's depth, and opposing offensive lines will likely curse it. OVERALL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ Nobody can deny the top-end talent that went out the door following the 2024 season, with NFL first-round tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant joining third-round edge Josaiah Stewart in the outflow. The question becomes can Michigan hope to match their level of overall effectiveness with replacements getting a greater chance to show what they can do? Most would say no, but this is a situation where the depth and desire to excel with a huge opportunity — not to mention with help from a potentially better offense — could make this group really good. With a Week 2 showdown in Norman, Okla., they'll enjoy a gigantic stage on which to deliver their message. PRESEASON ANALYSIS ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Michigan must replace Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant on the interior of the line, and it will do so with depth. The Wolver- ines brought in two transfers who may help determine how good the defensive tackle spot is in Damon Payne (Alabama) and TRÉ WILLIAMS (Clemson). Each brings maturity, experience and a track record of making impacts off the bench on winning teams. PHOTO COURTESY CLEMSON ATHLETICS