To say that junior defensive end Rashan Gary is excited about fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich returning for his final year of eligibility would be an understatement.
Gary spent much of the month of December during bowl practices essentially recruiting Winovich back to Ann Arbor, showering him with the idea of becoming the best defensive end duo in the country.
“Every day in practice, I was like ‘let’s be the best end duo in the country,’” Gary said. “I was feeding him little seeds. But at the end of the day it came down to what was best for him and his family, but of course I was pushing it.”
Once Winovich made his decision, he sent Gary a text saying that they needed to talk.
Gary knew what that meant — a decision had been made.
A phone call later, Gary was thrilled, Winovich was staying — and he didn’t need to find another defensive end to form that duo with.
“We’ve been pushing each other to be the best end duo in the country,” Gary said. “Him coming back just makes my job easier.”
The pair does not have a nickname, with Gary saying that’s up to the fans and media to come up with. Junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr. suggested “Thing One and Thing Two” with Winovich being Thing One.
The defense as a whole is no longer full of first-time starters. Gary, Winovich and the rest of the group know what each player likes to do. There’s a noticeable difference already this spring.
“We’re totally different,” Gary said. “Last year, people were saying we’re a young team even though we didn’t believe it, but you could definitely tell. Everybody’s confident with what they’re doing, flying to the ball, moving a lot faster than what we were doing last year.”
The player that will be hardest to replace is former defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, who is expected to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Gary has someone in mind to fill that role.
“We got this guy, Jersey kid, Michael Dwumfour,” Gary said. “He’s fast off the ball, can get off just like Mo. It’s ridiculous. You’re going to see it when the time comes.”
Gary, who’s up to 288 pounds, and Dwumfour have been friends since the second grade, and grew up together in New Jersey.
Quarterback Competition Captures Gary’s Attention
Michigan has a full-fledged quarterback competition going on right now between junior Shea Patterson, redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey and redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters. Gary likes what he’s seen so far.
“All of them are athletic,” Gary said. “I like going against them, I have to run a little bit extra on the outside, make sure I tag off to get the sack. Having that mobility is the background with each of our quarterbacks is crazy. Everybody has a different touch, everybody has a different swagger, but I’m happy to practice against them because I feel like I’m getting the best looks from quarterbacks that we might play this year.”
Patterson, the Ole Miss transfer is still waiting to be ruled eligible for the season, but is still performing well in practice.
“Shea, I like him. He’s swaggy,” Gary said. “He’s a good athletic kid and has a big arm. He likes to get outside the pocket a little bit, so we have to watch our contain on him. Coach makes sure we contain on him. Having him around changes the offense a little bit, but he’s a good kid.”
Peters, the lone quarterback with starting experience at Michigan, is also making the best of the situation.
“He’s quiet, he sits back, but whenever it’s time to compete he’s ready, you see it in his eyes,” Gary said. “Every time, he’s trying to make his pass and reads perfect. Having a quarterback battle pushes each of them to be the best, it’s crazy watching it.”
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