The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
82 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CHRIS BALAS T he 2025 season wasn't exactly a memorable one for the Michigan football team, a 9-4 campaign in which the Wolverines lost every big game on the schedule. It was paradise, though, compared to what hap- pened in the weeks that followed the loss to Ohio State — the program's first in five games — and preceding a Citrus Bowl loss to Texas. First, there were rumors that several of U-M's best players might opt out of the bowl game. Cooler heads prevailed, but some key players entered the transfer portal, including senior defensive tackle Enow Etta. If they couldn't convince him to come back, many surmised that Mich- igan would have its worst defensive line in recent memory, or at the very least its most inexperienced. But those staffers who remained af- ter Sherrone Moore's abrupt firing knew they had at least one ace up their sleeve in Trey Pierce. An honorable mention All- Big Ten selection in 2025 after notching 30 tackles, the 6-foot-2, 310-pounder had gotten better and better as a junior, especially against the run, and everyone said the same thing: "He's capable of even more. Much more," just like many of his teammates on the D-line. So, it was a bit surprising when new coach Kyle Whittingham announced after spring ball that the defensive line would be one of the team's strengths this fall based on what he'd seen, even after they'd convinced Etta to return. It wasn't as unforeseen to defensive coordinator Jay Hill. His offseason home- work consisted of watching film on each of his inherited players, and what he saw from Pierce was exactly what he saw this spring … but even better. "There are plenty of intangibles he has," Hill said. "He plays with great pad level. He's hard to knock off the ball, and he's a block eater. He makes plays. He's been just one of my favorites. I love him." Just as former Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito did after he inherited the Chicago area lineman. Though he left for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Esposito, father of 2027 offen- sive line pledge Louis Esposito, had two years with Pierce, watching him grow from a three-star prep with high upside into one of the Big Ten's more physical defensive tackles. Pierce started all 13 games a year ago and has appeared in 26 others in his three years. His overall defensive run grade is the best among all returning Michigan defenders, per analytics site Pro Football Focus, and is higher than Michigan's lone interior transfer addition this offseason, senior Jonah Lea'ea. The senior also played more than 400 defensive snaps last season and graded out as one of Michigan's highest-rated returning defenders overall. Only Ray- shaun Benny was better among Michigan defensive tackles. Esposito had a hand in his develop- ment, so he was like a proud papa when he saw Pierce in practices this spring. "I was able to see him a few times, and he looked really, really good," Esposito praised. "His block destruction and his ability to sustain … and when I say sus- tain, his conditioning, his ability to really focus in and be laser-focused on certain THE FOUNDATION UP FRONT Defensive Tackle Trey Pierce Is Prepared To Meet His Lofty Potential