2024 Michigan Football Spring Position Breakdown Defensive Line

For our Position Breakdown series, we will look at each position group for Michigan Football as we head toward spring practices.

How does the current depth chart shake out? What are the storylines or things you should watch heading into the spring and, eventually, the season? What's the X factor, whether it's a player, coach, or situation, that could change how the group looks?

Let's talk the big men on the interior.

POSITION BREAKDOWN SERIES

Quarterback
Running Back
Wide Reciever
Tight End
Offensive Line
EDGE
Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
Cornerback
Safety

While the offense is in transition and full of question marks, that is not true for the defense. And nowhere is there less doubt about who leads the way than with the defensive tackles. We've come a long way from the Don Brown era of DTs.

Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant return and should be the best DT duo in college football.

Graham burst on the scene as a freshman in 2022 and found another gear last season, already one of the best players in the nation as a sophomore. Graham does it all. A run stuffer with an average depth of tackle of just 1 yard. Graham had as many pressures as a pass rusher as Josaiah Stewart, a win rate better than Derrick Moore, and led the team in hits on the QB.

Grant played behind Mazi Smith in year one and wasn't given the same opportunities as Graham. As a sophomore, Grant built his resume as Bruce Feldman's #1 freak for 2024. He does things a 6'3" 340lb man shouldn't be able to do, like chasing down Kaytron Allen in the open field.

Best way to show Grant can do it all? Look at this stat line.

29 tackles, 5 for loss with 3.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, 5 pass breakups, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery. Controlled chaos, Grant is a menace.

Having two interior players who can cause this much havoc is, well, a gift from the football gods, as Jim Harbaugh would say. The issue for defenses? You can only double-team one.

Last season, Graham, Grant, and Kris Jenkins overshadowed a sneaky impressive season from Rayshaun Benny. Playing 244 snaps while the other three played 400+, Benny still had only two fewer tackles than Grant and more tackles for loss than Grant and Jenkins. Benny had zero missed tackles in 2023—just an efficient run-stopping machine who should excel in a more significant role this season.

Trey Pierce will be the next sophomore breakout and could see heavy rotation as DT4 and arguably the position's future in a post-Graham and Grant world. How he has developed in the offseason will be a story to watch in the spring. Already a lean and strong 300lbs last season, any additional weight will make Pierce a force in the 3T/NT rotation.

Michigan has a talented crop of 4 defensive tackles in the 2024 class, but none are early enrollees. It will take a strong summer and fall camp, but I wouldn't be shocked if someone from that group contributed this season despite not getting the early start.

If you read my EDGE preview, you may be confused by Enow Etta and Cam Brandt, which are also listed here. My primary reason for listing Etta and Brandt as EDGE players was their usage last season. Each played outside with no interior snaps, nose tackle or 3T. But that was last season, and they were freshman.

Etta was listed at 6'5" and 295lbs already last year. Brandt, 6'4" 277 lbs. With Michigan using their EDGE players as DE/OLB in 3-4/2-4-5 fronts, any more weight and they would likely be too big to play outside. The Kris Jenkins comparisons are obvious, and both of these guys are ahead of schedule.

Both players are versatile, agile, and strong. How they have developed this offseason will give a big clue to their futures. It reminds me a lot of Derrick Moore heading into last season. With Moore's size, the expectation was he could potentially move inside. Instead, Moore was stronger and more defined in spring camp and became the backup strong side EDGE.

Etta has added a ton of weight in the last two years. His strength is in his lower body, so if he has the kind of transformation with his upper body that we saw from Moore, he could be a dominant EDGE and the future star of that position. If he has added more weight, he could easily be the DT/5T replacement for Jenkins.

Brandt seemed the more likely of the two at the time of recruitment to become a DT. His HS tape looked more like a true 4-3 DE than a standup EDGE, but he played all over the defensive line. Again, Jenkins comps were pretty obvious. So I lean towards Etta being on the EDGE and Brandt moving inside, but anything is possible, which makes their spring arrival so intriguing.

But WHEREVER they play, Etta and Brandt can be expected to make an impact in 2024. While Michigan is elite at the starter level, they need depth and any player who can limit the drop-off from their starters will have a place in this defense.

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