The Michigan football team is experiencing immense turnover following its National Championship-winning season. The Wolverines are set to replace 10 starters on the offense, and the defense loses tons of talent as well.
But if there is one unit on the roster that causes no worry to the coaching staff or the fans, it is the defensive line. Anchored by juniors Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Michigan's defensive line is bound to be one of the best in college football yet again.
Even after losing EDGE rushers Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell to the NFL, the Wolverines reload at defensive end with experienced, talented players.
Senior Josaiah Stewart and junior Derrick Moore will rightfully steal the show — both players performed exceptionally well late in the season — but who will step up behind the team's top two pass rushers?
Head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media on Thursday at Wayne State University's SoundMind SoundBody football camp to discuss, and he focused mainly on redshirt junior defensive end T.J. Guy.
"Yeah, I mean, you just got really good depth," Moore said of the defensive end position. "You got some younger guys, but then you got guys that have played, just haven't had that breakout — T.J.'s a guy, he's gonna have a great year. He's watched the great EDGEs in front of him — the Aidans, Mike Morrises, Jaylen and Braiden — they all kind of go through this whole same process of just put your head down and work."
"And great nutrition; take care of your body. You see them every day, stretching, doing yoga, doing different things to make sure their body and their mind is right. And he's followed the same thing. So super ready for him to break out and have a great one. He had a great spring. There's times where we're like, 'Man, this dude, he's just wrecking practice sometimes.' So, it's cool to see a kid like that, who you've seen watch and grow and mature in the process."
Guy, a three-star recruit from Mansfield, Massachusetts, was committed to Boston College for three months before flipping his commitment to the Wolverines.
The 6-foot-4, 251-pound EDGE rusher has appeared in 23 games during his three seasons as a Wolverine. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021 but has been a consistent special teams contributor throughout his career.
As a redshirt sophomore last season, Guy posted 10 tackles and one sack as he learned from McGregor, Harrell, Stewart and Derrick Moore — Michigan's quartet of elite pass rushers.
Beyond Stewart, Derrick Moore and Guy, Sherrone Moore is excited about the depth at EDGE rusher.
"Enow Etta is a dude that's been really good. Trey Pierce has been really good. Aymeric Koumba, he's a guy that really just started playing football, but he's gonna be really good. And then some of these freshmen, I don't know if they're gonna be playing or not, but a guy like Dom Nichols has come in and he's had a really good spring. And I'm excited to see the guys that just came in like Devon Baxter and Lugard [Edokpayi] and watch those guys. Those guys have done a really good job."
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