The Michigan Wolverines’ football team has several juniors who will likely at least consider testing the 2020 NFL draft waters, including wideouts Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, defensive end Kwity Paye and center Cesar Ruiz.
“I submitted my name for the grade and will get it back next week or so,” Paye said at Michigan’s annual postseason awards banquet on Sunday night at Crisler Center.
“I’m leaning toward coming back, because I feel like one more year would help this team and myself, and I’d graduate with a degree.
“I’ve talked to [defensive coordinator] Coach [Don] Brown and [defensive line] Coach [Shaun] Nua a lot about it. I feel like this year was alright, but if I came back, I’d get my degree and see even more.
“We’d have a lot of guys coming back next year on this defense, even though we’re losing a good three or four of them.”
Paye’s potential return would be massive for a Wolverine defensive line that was outstanding throughout the middle and latter portions of the season, but was pushed around in the Nov. 30 loss to Ohio State.
Paye and sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson served as a formidable end duo throughout much of the campaign, and would likely be viewed as one of the Big Ten’s best edge tandems in 2020 if they each re-earn their starting jobs.
“Coming into this season, there were a lot of question marks with who was going to fill Rashan [Gary’s] and Chase [Winovich’s] spots,” Paye explained, as defensive line was viewed as arguably the biggest question mark on Michigan’s entire team heading into 2019.
“I think we filled those holes well.”
The fellow Wolverine teammates apparently agreed with that sentiment, voting Paye and Hutchinson as the co-recipients of Michigan’s Richard Katcher Award, which is given to the club’s best defensive lineman or outside linebacker.
Several players cited at Sunday night’s banquet how the mood is a bit different heading into this year’s bowl than it was going into last season’s, with some admitted disappointment hanging over the club prior to the 2018 Peach Bowl.
A few Wolverines also talked about a tighter bond this time around, something that seemingly wasn’t present enough last season when four U-M players — including two captains — chose not to play against the Gators.
“Yeah, for sure,” Paye confirmed when asked if he’d be playing in the Citrus Bowl against Alabama, almost annoyed the question even had to be asked.
“I don’t think anybody is going to sit out. This is a way to end the season strong. We’ve all been practicing and nobody is sitting out in practice.
“I know Coach [Jim] Harbaugh addressed it in his press conference, but the guys on this team wouldn’t want to sit out with the bond we have.
“[Strength and conditioning] Coach [Ben] Herbert was explaining after practice [on Sunday] how this will be a money game, in that we’ll have a chance to play against first-round talents.
“We can show scouts what we can do. If you would’ve told me we’d be playing Alabama in the Citrus Bowl at the beginning of the season, a lot of us wouldn’t have believed you.
“For us to get this opportunity is huge, and we’re all striving for that 10th win for the second year in a row.”
Alabama, meanwhile, has already had two defensive starters announce they won’t be playing on Jan. 1, in redshirt junior linebacker Terrell Lewis and senior cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Even with Lewis and Diggs choosing not to compete, the Crimson Tide’s roster is still loaded with talent.
“Their o-line is really good and so are their skill position guys,” Paye explained. “We’ve seen how dominant they are on film and how quick they move for guys their size with NFL talent.
“Their right tackle is a first round guy, and I played against him in high school, so I know he’s a great one. They have [junior left tackle Alex] Leatherwood as well.
“It’ll be a great opportunity for us to show NFL teams what we can do. This is a chance for us to rewrite the season and get that 10th win.
“We didn’t end the season strong, but this would be a way for us to do so.”
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