Shaun Nua On Mazi Smith, Why He's 'Not Worried' About The Interior D-Line

Michigan football's defense is more than solid at defensive end, returning two starters and All-Big Ten performers from last year's team in junior Aidan Hutchinson and senior Kwity Paye. Hutchinson made 68 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, six pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles on the season, while Paye notched 50 tackles, with 12.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.

"They’re probably the two best I’ve ever had, and to have those two guys, you’ve gotta let them go," Wolverines' defensive line coach Shaun Nua said Monday on the Inside Michigan Football radio show with Jon Jansen. "They’ve done a great job with that.

"Kwity Paye is literally a freak. Aidan Hutchinson, his passion for the game and his passion for being a perfectionist is unmatched."

The depth is coming along, too, Nua said, pointing out two who haven't had much experience as ones that are now ready to step up when called upon.

"You’ve got to look at [redshirt sophomore] Taylor Upshaw, [redshirt junior] Luiji Vilain," Nua said. "Those two have done a great job of stepping up. Both athletic guys, long and they like to rush the passer.

"We have very good depth outside on those edges."

RELATED: Michigan's Chris Hinton Has 'Learned A Lot,' And He's 'Ready To Show It'

RELATED: Buy Or Sell: Michigan's 2020 Defense Will Finish Inside The Nation's Top 10

One of the biggest concerns following last season is the interior of the defensive line and how it will hold up against the likes of Wisconsin and Ohio State, considering the fact hat both squads dominated the Maize and Blue up front a year go.

It's Nua's job to be concerned about such a thing, but based on the confidence he has in his personnel, he's not worried

"This was supposed to be the biggest worry, but I didn’t worry because I knew who we have there," Nua said of the interior. "We’ve got [fifth-year senior] Carlo Kemp, the best leader that we could ever have.

"[Sophomore] Chris Hinton is very athletic, has good mass. And then we’ve got [redshirt freshman] Mazi [Smith]. The guy who’s got his mindset right is [redshirt junior Donovan] Jeter. We also have [redshirt junior] Philip Paea behind him.

"So they’ve done a good job of overcoming all these adversities we’ve got and focusing on their progression. So I’m excited about those guys."

Nua pointed out that Hutchinson, last year and this year, is one who knows the ins and outs of the playbook and is ready from a physical standpoint. On the other hand, the aforementioned Smith — like many young players in a complicated defense — is going through the learning curve, but he's getting up to speed quickly heading into his redshirt freshman campaign.

"Guys like Mazi, they’ve got a little bit of ways to learn the game, and he’s done a great job with that," Nua said. "And on top of that, his body. He came in at 350-plus, and he got with [performance dietician] Abigail [O'Connor] and now he’s a freakin’ shiny 305, 310 beast. So that’s the good part, but the mental part really separates who’s ready and who’s not."

"When you step out onto a football field, never is that more evident that the truth is going to get told," said head coach Jim Harbaugh back in 2015. "Who’s best prepared? Who wants it the most? Who’s the most talented?"

It's even more true when the pads come on, and that's finally the case (starting last Thursday) after the Wolverines and other Big Ten teams weren't allowed to hold contact practices since bowl preparation last December.

The meetings and walkthroughs can tell a lot about who's going to give a team the best chance to win, but only to a certain degree. Nua is excited to continue evaluating now that contact drills are in full swing.

"I’m more excited to see where we are," Nua said. "Are we coming off low? Are all those sacks that were supposed to be sacks, are they real or are they fake? Run game, are we in our gaps, controlling, shedding blocks and finding the ball? That’s what I’m excited about.

"The trenches are a fun thing because of that, it reveals exactly who you are."

---

• Talk about this article inside The Fort

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine

• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett

• Like us on Facebook