The Michigan Wolverines’ football defensive line brings back three of its four starters from a year ago, and is expected to be a better unit as a whole in 2020 than it was in 2019.
The Maize and Blue’s front seven got gashed in its final two games against Ohio State and Alabama, allowing a combined six scores on the ground and both clubs to average at least 5.1 yards per carry.
With senior defensive end Kwity Paye, junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and fifth-year senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp all a year older and sophomore Chris Hinton expected to be stout as a new starter, U-M’s front four should undoubtedly be improved from the 2019 unit we saw.
“Every year since I’ve been here, one of the biggest concerns that would get talked about has been the defensive line,” Kemp told reporters today. “We’d hear it, but never paid too close attention to it.
"It’s important to have a good d-line because that’s where it all starts. It helps the team in more ways than one when you take care of the run and get pressure on the quarterback.
"It helps take pressure off the linebackers and defensive backs. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh has so much praise for the d-line right now because of two d-ends I’m thankful to play with in Aidan and Kwity.
“They’re bookends of not just the d-line, but probably of the whole team. It’s their attitude and the way they attack everything they do — it’s why they’re leaders on the team and why we’d follow them into battle.
“They set the standard for us.”
Paye, Hutchinson and Kemp are all proven commodities and have each produced at a high level before, leaving Hinton as the lone primarily inexperienced player along the defensive front.
A five-star out of high school in 2019 recruiting class, Hinton gained valuable playing time late last season when he received at least 21 snaps in each of Michigan’s final three games.
“He came in as a freshman and saw a lot of time, which is uncommon,” Kemp recalled. “It’s about strength, size, speed and IQ, and he put all those things together. You start to realize how special of a talent and character he is.
"Believing you can go out there and make an impact is one of the biggest things you deal with when you’re younger. Chris did that last year, and now it’s about taking his game to the next level.
"He’s done that every single day here at practice.”
Another defensive tackle who will be crucial to the interior’s success — albeit as a likely backup — in 2020 is redshirt junior Donovan Jeter. The Beaver Falls, Pa., native looked like he was going to be a steady part of the rotation last season when he played 43 snaps in the Sept. 21 loss at Wisconsin, but received more than eight in just one game after that.
“Everything about him is clicking right now,” Kemp revealed. “I’ve gotten to see in practice what he can do when he is completely at his highest game, which is where he’s been at for the past three months.
“It takes time to get to where you want to be and feel successful, and he’s at that point. I expect him to keep building off everything he’s done in the last three months and make a real impact for the Wolverines this year.”
With the Maize and Blue bringing back nine defensive players who started at least one game last year, the defense as a whole is expected to be improved from the one that finished 11th in the country last year.
“The biggest thing I’m excited for is how close we are,” Kemp explained. “It’s from the d-line to the linebackers to the back end. This could be the start of something special for us, because we’re all invested in each other and in everyone else making plays, as opposed to ourselves.
“That’s when you know you have something special. I’m excited to make it to Saturday and make plays against a different offense for once. It’ll be good to apply what we’ve learned at Schem[bechler Hall] and in Glick [practice facility] and to finally apply it in a real game.”
Notes
• Harbaugh revealed today that fifth-year senior Andrew Vastardis is the club’s starting center. He came to U-M as a walk-on and was once an afterthought, but has persevered and become a team captain.
“Andrew and I have been battling since freshman year,” Kemp exclaimed. “It’s been a game of development, and him being a starter now for the Wolverines is a huge accomplishment.
“It shows how well he’s handled adversity. Andrew is one of the hardest workers on and off the field, especially on it. Whatever happens during a play, he makes sure he finishes to the best of his ability through the whistle.
“He’s done a tremendous job getting his guys rallied up and fired up every day to go out and practice.”
• With a new quarterback in redshirt sophomore Joe Milton and four new starters on the offensive line, Michigan’s offense as a whole has plenty of question marks surrounding it heading into 2020.
“No one has seen yet what this offense can do,” Kemp said confidently. “There is a lot of chemistry on that side of the ball and it has so many good players. We have tremendous players at running back and wide receiver, and we have a quarterback leading both the offense and the entire team in a very special way.
“We’re excited for Joe because we know what he’s gone through to get to this point. He was the scout quarterback as a freshman and would lead the scout team; you knew it would be his time someday.
“Seeing it all come to fruition is incredible. What we have at quarterback this year is a very special leader and a very special guy who I’m excited for.”
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