78 days until Michigan football: Kenneth Grant set for huge junior year
Jim Harbaugh once described defensive tackle Kenneth Grant as a "gift from the football gods."
The former Michigan football head coach made that proclamation at Big Ten media days in 2022 ahead of Grant's freshman season, and Grant has lived up to every bit of that billing during his first two seasons with the Wolverines.
Through 29 games at Michigan, it has been easy to see why Harbaugh was so bullish on Grant before he even played a snap in a Michigan uniform. The 6-foot-3, 339-pound defensive tackle has consistently dominated opposing teams' offensive lines, and he has been a force to be reckoned with.
So much so, in fact, that Grant enters 2024 as the 54th-best player in college football, according to CBS. He is also projected by CBS to be selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
But before Grant presumably heads to the NFL in 2025, he will play a big role in helping Michigan defend its national title in 2024.
Grant and fellow stud defensive tackle Mason Graham make up arguably the best interior defensive line in the nation, and the pair of juniors will anchor a Michigan defense that will once again be one of the top units in the country.
However, because there are 78 days until the season opener and not 55, the focus here will be on Grant.
As a freshman in 2022, No. 78 saw action in all 14 of Michigan's games, and although he did not fill the stat sheet or make any highlight-reel plays, the experience of consistently playing in the Big Ten was invaluable for the true freshman.
He finished his first season as a Wolverine with eight total tackles, as he played behind the likes of Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins.
When the calendar flipped to 2023, Grant was poised to make a huge impact for the national title-hopeful Wolverines, and he did. With Smith off to the NFL, Grant stepped into a bigger role along the defensive interior. He made five starts in 2023 and played in all 15 games.
He racked up 29 tackles — five of which were for a loss of yardage — 3.5 sacks, one interception, five deflected passes and a fumble recovery.
Grant's sophomore campaign was filled with memorable moments, including an interception against Nebraska when he caught a pass that was deflected high in the air by Braiden McGregor, a touchdown-saving, chase-down tackle of Penn State running back Kaytron Allen and a vicious sack of Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. in the national championship game.
In 2023, Grant posted a 78.4 pass-rushing grade, which ranked in the top 15 among defensive tackles in the Power Five, according to Pro Football Focus.
With Jenkins now following in Smith's footsteps by heading to the next level, Grant will see an even larger role along the defensive line in 2024. According to PFF, he enters the season as the sixth-best interior defensive lineman in the country, and he and Graham will make up the most feared defensive tackle unit in the nation.
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