New Michigan football defensive line coach Mike Elston met with the media recently and commented on all things D-Line. Elston confirmed what we've been hearing all spring that the group continues to be led inside by Senior Mazi Smith and Junior Kris Jenkins. On the outside, the Florida duo of Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw are the favorites to replace outgoing All-B1G first-teamers Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Elston had good things to say about depth developing behind those guys, whether returning role players stepping into a more active role or a couple of early enrollees who continue to stand out early in camp.

A theme we've touched on throughout the spring is how the defense will be similar and how it will be different under new DC Jesse Minter. The big question, of course, "who replaces Hutchinson and Ojabo?" Elston's comments echoed much of what we have heard from Minter, which is the defense will match the strengths of its players.

"You're not going to have the same player that Aidan was or Ojabo was. We have guys on the team that have skill sets that you know are developing and can add the value they added. But it's not going to look the same. It's going to be a bit different because Mike Morris and Taylor Upshaw will play differently. You hope that production is there. We got young guys coming on like Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. It's a great room, but it's going to be different."

Reading into what Elston says here and what we've heard from Minter, don't expect anyone at the edge to break sack records like we saw last season. The 2021 defense was a product of its strength, and 2022 will be no different. This means the pass rush will come from other places, including the defensive tackles inside.

"We would like to generate more production on the inside. Obviously, going to need—we've lost some edge presence, and it has to be generated somewhere, so we're spending time on that. Mazi Smith is a very capable pass rusher. Kris Jenkins, George Rooks, all those guys are capable of pass-rushing. "

Guys like Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, and Jaylen Harrell have each benefited in their development from seeing the field early and as part of a consistent rotation. Getting the underclassman on the field yields benefits in the future when it is their turn to be the next man up, but it also helps keep guys fresh in-game and throughout the season. Elston says that will continue in 2022.

"The rotation is really, that, to me is very critical...But if all things equal, if there's not much dropoff between a 1A and 1B, then you'd want to rotate guys in so that you're fresh for the fourth quarter or for overtime, or really for the season—goes on a 14 game, 15 game season and if you play somebody 60 snaps a rep, 60 snaps a game they're going to wear down as the season goes on. We should have enough depth that we can rotate guys in freely and keep them fresh for the whole season."

When it comes to that depth, Coach Elston likes what he has seen from some underclassmen.

"Adding depth and developing depth with George Rooks and Dominic Guidice. Mason Graham's been a great addition coming in mid-year."

Along with early enrollee Mason Graham, Elston also mentioned Derrick Moore's performance in spring.

"He's (Moore) been a great addition. He's very athletic. He can do many different jobs, both in a three-point stance and a two-point stance. He can drop into coverage. He's got really good pass rush ability. Very coachable, learns very well, very important to him. He's in the meeting room every day early.'

So as we approach the Michigan Spring Game on April 2, we can start to connect the dots with the defensive line. Mazi Smith is being called on to be the leader of this defensive front, and they are hoping that he, and Kris Jenkins, can adapt their game on the inside and create pressure up the middle. On the outside, Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, and Jaylen Harrell will be key edge rushers to start the season. The exciting thing is these guys are rising above the crop, and a lot of depth is developing behind them. Braiden McGregor and TJ Guy are two guys who haven't played a ton but could make the two-deep and play a role in the rotations. And while we have been hearing the praises of early enrollees Mason Graham and Derrick Moore for much of the spring, Elston also dropped names like George Rooks, Dominic Guidice, and Rayshaun Benny is very encouraging.

The spring game will be our first look at the group as spring practices come to a close, and we'll have to keep an eye on how the summer goes. There are more names than spots currently, so the hope is iron sharpens iron, and Michigan starts the fall with a defensive line group ready to take on the immense task of replicating the performance of the 2021 Michigan defense.

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