Donovan Jeter Finally A Part Of D-Line Rotation, But Still Isn't Satisfied
Though the Michigan Wolverines’ football secondary was burned repeatedly against Rutgers (allowed 381 passing yards), its front seven performed quite well versus the Scarlet Knight rushing attack.
U-M only allowed Rutgers to run for 105 yards on 2.6 yards per carry, marking a significant improvement from the 341 yards it yielded to Wisconsin the week before.
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“I don’t think there were any major adjustments,” redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Jeter told the media this week. “It was just putting more effort into getting home and trying to get the quarterback off his spot and throw him off rhythm.
“It was just about trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible in the pocket. There were no major adjustments.”
The Maize and Blue were missing two of their key defensive line cogs in senior defensive end Kwity Paye and junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson during Saturday’s win, and had to mix and match a bit as a result.
Fifth-year senior Carlo Kemp slid from defensive tackle to defensive end, while Jeter and sophomore Chris Hinton primarily occupied the interior.
“It’s a ‘next man up’ mentality,” Jeter noted in the wake of all the injuries. “We pray for them and hope they’re ok and heal fast. Our coaches develop the young guys and prepare them for worst case scenarios.
“Nobody knew Kwity or Aidan would go down. [Defensive line] Coach [Shaun] Nua did a great job having our young guys ready to play. I personally don’t think it is [more difficult getting into a rhythm with so many guys out].
“Coach Nua has done a great job getting guys prepared and keeping them ready. It’s not like the guys coming up — [redshirt sophomore defensive end] Taylor [Upshaw], [redshirt junior defensive end] Luiji [Vilain] and [redshirt freshman defensive end] Gabe [Newburg] — weren’t taught the same things Kwity and Aidan were.
“Coach Nua is just a great players’ coach. He brings a high level of energy every day. He’s also big on technique, running to the ball, and effort. Coach Nua checks all the boxes.
“He grew me as a player and as a young man, and that has been a big factor in our progression as a d-line.”
Jeter has taken a significant leap forward this season, becoming a consistent contributor on the defensive line after only playing 93 snaps all of last year. He saw 43 snaps in the Sept. 21 blowout at Wisconsin last season, but never played more than eight in a regular-season game the rest of the way.
“I got mentally tougher this offseason,” he explained. “I played horribly against Wisconsin and that kind of affected my mindset the rest of the year. I didn’t get back to being myself until the Alabama game.
“I told myself I’m never going to have that feeling again. I had a lack of physicality and left a lot of plays out there at Wisconsin, and my technique was horrible. After the season, I went back and just worked.
“I’m working now every day … technique is an every-day thing. You can’t relax and say your technique is fine. It’s about letting the rest take care of itself, and I know I can control how hard I work.
“There will never be a time where hard work doesn’t pay off. I’m still not even remotely satisfied with where I’m at right now. I have to keep working and the rest will take care of itself.
“I’ve had a weight room in my basement since sophomore year of high school. I also lived up the street from a track and a turf field that had some sleds and bags I could use for d-line drills [while I was home this offseason].
“It was different training at home and felt like I was in high school again. It was a huge plus to get back to the basics and work hard. I went to the track with one of my best friends all the time.
“It was mainly simple stuff with the d-line drills and I didn’t need anyone else.”
Notes
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara’s insertion into Saturday’s game seemed to energize not only Michigan’s offense, but the team as a whole.
“I think we can feed off of either quarterback, whether it’s Cade or [redshirt sophomore] Joe Milton,” Jeter explained. “The defense has to find a way to bring our own energy, regardless of what the offense is doing.
“We have to feed off each other, like celebrating big plays and hyping each other up. When things go sour, it’s about not yelling at one another on the sidelines, sticking to the game plan and playing hard for each other.”
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