Michigan's spring football practice begins tomorrow, March 23, which means it's time to take a look at how each position group stacks up entering next season.
Today we move on to defensive tackle, which will be tasked with replacing Maurice Hurst.
Returning Players
Newcomers
— None
Observations
Michigan is losing its best player from 2017, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, which means someone will have to step up and fill the giant void he's leaving. That figures to be Solomon, who already took over as a starting midway through last season and is in line to start again.
That means the other starting spot is wide open, and a number of players will compete for it.
Mone, Marshall, Dwumfour and Kemp all could be the guy — and will all see playing time.
Mone is working on getting in betting shape, and if he does, could finally have his breakout year. Marshall was hyped up by Hurst late in the season and could fill the role as well.
Dwumfour had a strong year of progress in 2017 and would love to start next to his buddy Rashan Gary, the junior defensive end.
Kemp is the wildcard. He's switched over from defensive end and is putting on more weight to be able to handle the tackle position. He's younger than both Marshall and Mone and has a higher ceiling.
Jeter could see playing time. The coaches like him a lot, but he is coming off of a season-ending injury. With so many other players ahead of him, there simply might not be a need for Jeter, Paea or Johnson to get on the field except for in blowout situations. Keep an eye on Jeter though, defensive coordinator Don Brown is never afraid to play a younger player over an older one if he's more talented.
Projected Depth Chart
1. Aubrey Solomon
2. Bryan Mone
3. Lawrence Marshall
4. Michael Dwumfour
5. Carlo Kemp
6. Donovan Jeter
Position Battle To Watch
The race for the second starting position is wide open. Mone, Marshall and Dwumfour all could easily be the guy — as could Kemp. If Kemp translates from end to tackle well, he could surprise folks and earn that starting spot. Having this many talented players competing for one starting job can be a good problem to have, and the backups will certainly play. Depth is important on the defensive line, especially in the middle.
More Spring Previews From The Wolverine
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