Is U-M's Interior D-Line A Concern? Nua Explains Why He Feels Good About It
There are three proven football commodities on the Michigan Wolverines’ 2020 defensive line in senior defensive end Kwity Paye, junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and fifth-year senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp, but the other expected contributors are primarily inexperienced.
Defensive line coach Shaun Nua provided several encouraging updates surrounding those inexperienced players on a zoom call this afternoon with reporters, focusing on two names in particular — redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Jeter and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Julius Welschof.
Jeter played 43 snaps in last season’s Sept. 21 loss at Wisconsin and looked like he was going to be a consistent part of the rotation, but seldom saw the field from that point on (averaged just 4.7 snaps in Michigan’s final 10 contests).
“Jeter’s mindset is the thing that has changed in everything he does — on and off the field, with his teammates, etc.,” Nua explained. “Once that happens, everything seems to fall into place.
"He has taken his mindset to a place that’s helping him at a high level. Donovan is sick and tired of not breaking through, and is realizing ‘what the heck am I waiting for?’ He’s finally seeing the light and once you realize your opportunities are limited, you either fight back or you don’t.
“He has decided to fight back. We have different packages and depending on the situation, he might be the starter in certain packages. Donovan, Carlo and [sophomore defensive tackle Chris] Hinton are some of the guys competing for those two spots inside.
“Donovan is taking a leadership role and when you start leading by actions, it’s easy to lead. He’s doing a good job of being a leader for the younger guys.”
Though Kemp and Hinton are expected to serve as a formidable starting defensive tackle duo in 2020, the depth behind them is quite thin. Jeter will be expected to be one of the top backup contributors along the interior, with Welschof — who came over from defensive end — hoping to become a part of the discussion as well.
“Football wasn’t instilled in Welschof at a young age, so he just needed a lot of repetition,” Nua noted. “The time off was useful for him to learn the playbook. The next step for him was to get the feel for how to play the game to get his football instincts back.
"Both he and Donovan are executing at a high level right now.”
Redshirt freshman Mazi Smith and redshirt junior Jess Speight are two other tackles expected to see time along the interior, with fans oftentimes anxious to hear about the former’s progression, in particular.
Smith came to U-M as a four-star prospect last year, but saw the field for just seven defensive snaps as a freshman in 2019.
“He’s coming along,” Nua said. “I see the progress more than he does. He wants to arrive already, but it’s a good problem to have because it means he’s a competitive young man.
“Mazi has completely changed his body frame and is close to having that breakout experience. I feel really good about our inside guys.”
The outside duo, meanwhile, is likely set with Paye and Hutchinson as the starters, though some contributors will need to emerge behind them. One increasingly likely candidate appears to be redshirt sophomore Taylor Upshaw.
“Taylor has the epitome d-line mentality — kills everything in his path and I love it,” Nua exclaimed. “He just has to control it at times. He’s very explosive and athletic with great size.
"Taylor has done a great job of understanding the full aspect of the game, so he’ll be heavily involved in what we do.”
Paye and Hutchinson will undoubtedly be the primary contributors on the outside, and in a lot of ways have also become the identity of the team, Harbaugh noted on Monday night.
Nua agreed today with Harbaugh’s sentiment, largely because of the way the defensive end tandem have become two of the best lead-by-example guys on the team.
“We have three leaders [Hutchinson, Paye and Kemp] in our room and that’s unique,” Nua said. “What they’re doing is contagious throughout the whole team and that’s the best way to lead.
“They’ve done a great job of manning up and accepting all the challenges … not just football, but everything going on around the world and the country.”
Notes
• The Wolverines will kick off the 2020 campaign on Oct. 24 at Minnesota, against a Gopher club who went 11-2 last season and returns many of its key contributors on both sides of the ball.
“They have a very big offensive line,” Nua exclaimed when asked about what he’s seen from P.J. Fleck’s club. “I’ll completely commit myself to Minnesota tomorrow, but we’re still focusing on ourselves right now.
“Their quarterback [redshirt junior Tanner Morgan] gets rid of the ball fast and they have good receivers. Their running backs run hard and their offensive linemen are huge. It’ll be a fun challenge for us.”
• Paye’s decision to return to Michigan for his senior season and put the NFL on hold was an important one, as he’ll now serve as not only one of the best players on the roster but also as a team captain.
“He’s very unselfish, loves Michigan and his teammates, and wants to leave a legacy here that’s even beyond my understanding,” the defensive line coach revealed. “He didn’t even flinch once throughout the whole pandemic, and that puts him at a different level when it comes to character and the quality of man he is.
“I’m expecting a really good year from him because he’s dominating right now. He has taken his pass rushing to a different level. We will put him in the best positions to allow him to execute and get to the quarterback.
"Kwity is a freak in that he can physically do things I wish I could do. I lie to the guys and tell them I used to do the things they can do. His weight and balance, combined with his intelligence for the game, is at a different level.
“A freak is someone who can do a lot of things physically the majority of people can’t do.”
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