Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. and sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary made the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, granted each year to the nation's top defensive player.
The two are key performers for what is expected to be a strong Michigan defensive front. Gary played in all 13 Michigan games as a freshman, posting 27 tackles, among them five tackles for loss and a sack. He has also been hailed as an offseason leader by both head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Don Brown.
"Mo Hurst is a guy I like to feed off of," Gary said recently. "He's my workout partner. He pushes me for my best, and I push him for his best. I still talk to Taco [Charlton] and Chris Wormley."
Hurst remains a disruptive force in the middle of the Michigan defense. He secured 34 stops a year ago, with a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. In three seasons on the field, he's managed 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks among his 73 tackles.
Gary also noted he's working with Michigan's incoming freshmen, like defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon.
"I've been on him since he got here," Gary noted. "I've been having him and all of our players going over the fronts. Now I'm getting to the point where we're watching film and telling him what you have to do on this play … it's things Taco and Wormley used to do for me, and now I'm doing them for him."
Gary came out of high school as a consensus prep All-American, the top player in the nation by most. So the spotlight is nothing new to him. Hurst, meanwhile, could have tested the NFL waters with many of his teammates after last season, but opted to return for a fifth year in Ann Arbor.
Michigan opens the football season on Sept. 2 against Florida in Arlington, Texas.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine,@AustinFox42and @Balas_Wolverine
• Like us on Facebook
