One of the biggest question marks for Michigan’s defense heading into spring practice was the defensive line.
The Wolverines lost both Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich from last year’s defensive line after the two combined for 113 tackles, with 24 tackles for loss in 2018. With those two prolific defenders gone, the defensive line has needed to replace that production.
Under new defensive line coach Shaun Nua, the unit is driven to prove people wrong regarding the negative expectations for their group following the loss of Gary and Winovich.
“That just motivates us,” sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. “We don’t care what you have to say, we’re going to put our work in, and it will show on the field.”
Part of the reason for increased confidence in the defensive line is the emergence of Hutchinson, early enrollee freshman defensive tackle Mazi Smith and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Donovan Jeter during the spring.
While each has varied levels of collegiate experience, they have impressed their teammates.
“There’s a lot of potential for all of us,” Jeter said. “But Mazi, he’s still young. He’s supposed to be in high school right now, but I feel for him because I tell him all the time, ‘I was you, I was in your exact same position’. With him, it’s just going to become how fast he can pick up the speed of the game because [he is] like a monster.”
One quality that has impressed Jeter about Smith is his incredible strength.
“The first day like upper body [training], I’m one of the strongest benchers on the team and he’s making the weight I’m doing look light,” Jeter said. “I’m sitting there like, ‘Maybe I need to re-evaluate myself.’ He’s coming in just moving weight. He’s so far ahead of the curve he doesn’t know it yet so every day I’m in his ear, ‘When you’re ready to dominate, you’ll dominate.’ He has great potential he’s just so big and strong.”
Jeter said that Smith is the strongest person on the field, which is impressive for a lineman that should still be in high school. However, Jeter said he still needs to work on his technique.
While Smith is in his first spring with the program, Jeter is entering his third season with the Wolverines. In his first two years, he barely saw the field after suffering an injury before the 2017 season and riding the bench in 2018.
However, he’s broken through this spring.
“Donovan Jeter is special,” senior linebacker and defensive end Josh Uche said. “We’ve gone through stuff [together], we’ll talk to each, pick each other up. He’s special. He picked it up so much this spring.”
Another defensive lineman who has had a good spring is Hutchinson. In his first season with Michigan, he played in all 13 games as a backup to Gary and Winovich, while racking up 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
“He’s a beast,” Uche said. “He’s matured a lot quicker than most of the other guys. He’s just the guy. When [he] steps in the room, you know his presence in felt.”
Hutchinson has matured at the perfect time. He will be likely be a starter come the fall next to junior Kwity Paye.
“Because of Coach Herb, I was able to increase my strength, he said. “I worked a lot outside of football on the little things. I just looked at all the little things in my game to improve.”
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