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 THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 91 POSITION COACHES Defensive line coaching duties will be split among two assistants in 2026 with Lewis Pow- ell holding the title of run game coordinator/ defensive ends coach and Larry Black tabbed as defensive tackles coach. Both are in their first seasons at U-M. Powell had previously spent 14 of the last 17 years with Kyle Whittingham at Utah, where he also played in his college career, graduating in 2004. He got his start in Salt Lake City as a graduate assistant (2009-10) before serving as an administrative assistant in 2011. Powell left for the defensive line coach position at Hawai'i from 2012-14 before returning to Utah in 2015 as a tight ends coach. He coached the defensive line from 2016-18 before moving to defensive ends in 2019, a role he held until leaving for U-M. Black was hired as the defen- sive tackles coach in February 2026 after Lou Esposito de- parted for the Baltimore Ravens. He has 12 years of collegiate ex- perience, including nine as a po- sition coach. Before he arrived in Ann Arbor, he spent four seasons at Vanderbilt from 2022-25 coaching the defensive line, add- ing the title of run game coordinator in 2025. He got his start in coaching in 2015 at Division III Carthage College before serving as a graduate assistant at Toledo in 2016-17. He made the jump to Notre Dame in 2018 as grad assistant before heading back to Toledo to coach the defensive line from 2019-21. Black played collegiately at Indiana from 2008-12 and is the brother of for- mer U-M defensive tackle Jibreel Black (2010-13). RETURNING PLAYERS CAMERON BRANDT • DE Sr. • Carson, Calif. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 270 • Appeared in all 13 games with 1 start, making 22 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks in 2025. • Saw time in 13 games off the bench in 2024, posting 10 tackles, including 3 for loss and 2 sacks, with 2 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble. • Played in 14 games with 4 tackles in 2023. • Produced 55 tackles with 4 sacks as a prep senior at Sierra Canyon High and made 52 stops, including 11 for loss with 5.5 sacks his junior campaign. • Rated a three-star prospect, the No. 408 over- all recruit and No. 46 defensive lineman in the country and the 34th-best player in California per the Rivals Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks 2023 14/0 4 0 0 2024 13/0 10 3 2 2025 13/1 22 1.5 0.5 Totals 40/1 36 4.5 2.5 LUGARD EDOKPAYI • DE Jr. • Bowie, Md. Ht.: 6-7 • Wt.: 250 • Appeared in eight games in 2025 • Didn't see game action in 2024 but was named Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week for prepar- ing the offense for USC. • Attended Bishop McNamara High School and racked up 22 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 5 passes defended as a senior. • Four-star signee in 2024, ranked as the No. 116 overall player and No. 14 EDGE in the na- tion and as third-best player in Maryland, per Rivals Industry Ranking. ENOW ETTA • DT Sr. • Keller, Texas Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 320 • Appeared in 13 games with 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and a pass de- fended in 2025, • Shared team Defensive Player of the Week honors after wins at Michigan State and Northwestern. • Recorded 4 tackles with a half-sack and 1 pass breakup in 10 games as a backup in 2024. • Saw 86 defensive snaps in 10 outings, the sixth-most among interior defensive linemen on the team. • Appeared in three games as a freshman in 2023, making 1 tackle. • Made 122 tackles, including 34 for loss with 20 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 2 touchdowns as a prep senior at Covenant Christian Academy. ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Junior defensive end LUGARD EDOKPAYI had become a bit of a forgotten man in the pass rush conversation, but he was a top-40 talent in the 2024 class despite being extremely raw. He has positioned himself for legitimate playing time after a strong spring and boasts a 7-foot-1 wingspan on a 6-7, 250-pound frame. There's a lot of upside to his game, and another offseason to hone his craft could allow a breakout campaign. also be in the mix, Hill added. It starts with sophomore Nate Marshall, a 6-3 240-pounder who has added weight and "shown progress" Whittingham said. "[Junior] Lugard Edokpayi [6-7, 250] and [freshman] Benny Patterson [6-2, 270] stood out this spring as really great, up-and-coming guys," Hill said. "Throw in Carter Meadows [6-6, 235 freshman] and some of the new guys we just got, and that group is deep." As is the entire D-line room, Whitting- ham praised. "That appears to be our strongest suit right now as far as depth goes and 10 bodies ready to play," he said. Which is always a positive when it comes to building a defense. ❑ Interior Pass Rush Is A Work In Progress Michigan had a cheat code for a few years with All-America defensive tackle Mason Graham, one of the most domi- nant linemen in school history. His brute strength made him an almost impossible assignment for offensive linemen, and though he finished with only 9 career sacks, his interior rush and pocket destruc- tion literally changed games. Nobody expected the interior line to be as good last year, but there was hope it would be better than it was. Michigan defensive tackles only managed 2 sacks, and opposing quarterbacks were much too comfortable too often a year ago. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill hopes to change that this year. "It's always an emphasis. You want de- fensive tackles that can get after the quar- terback," Hill said. "With that, every guy is different. Some guys have the ability to be block eaters, and some guys have the abil- ity to be able to stab a gap and get in there quickly. Some guys are better at engaging with their hands and shedding." They're still trying to figure out who can do what, but there was some inte- rior pressure in the spring game. Junior Deyvid Palepale showed some with brute strength, while veterans Enow Etta, Trey Pierce, and Utah transfer Jonah Lea'ea all have the ability. "I think it's still to be determined on ex- actly how we are as pass rushers at all the positions," Hill said. "But there is promise that we will be a dynamic group and get sacks from them." — Chris Balas