The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2018 THE WOLVERINE 41 BY JOHN BORTON W hat a difference a year makes — in both percep- tion and reality. First, the perception. One year ago, pundits muttered con- dolences for defensive coordinator Don Brown, saddled with rookie starters after a wave of 2016 perform- ers left for the NFL. This year, many of the same inquir- ing minds see the Wolverines as an overpowering force on the defense, ready to keep U-M in each game. Given an adequate offense, they say, Jim Harbaugh's crew could contend for Big Ten honors and the College Football Playoff. Both stances involve a risk of cred- ibility. Both made Brown smile, if a bit ruefully. A year ago, he challenged the nay- sayers to take a hard look at Michi- gan's talent, noting the Wolverines didn't get caught napping by the im- pending departures. Then he took the next wave and fashioned the na- tion's No. 3 total defense (271.0 yards per game allowed). This spring, Brown hears the in- evitable huzzahs for that mostly re- turning cast of characters and issues a stern warning. Yes, the Wolverines ought to be very, very good, but the work and focus between now and Sept. 1 have to remain intense. All that said, Brown likes what he sees. "I'm glad to be back with my guys," he said. "This might be, if not the fastest, at least one of the fastest groups I've ever been around. I'm pretty excited about it. "We've got a lot of high-character guys. If this is their ceiling [raising a hand above eye level], we're get- ting their ceiling. A lot of guys, if this is their ceiling, they're swim- ming down here [hand at his waist] in this pond. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. I'm just stating a fact. "I've been doing this a long time, and there's one thing — I was saying this to Coach [Greg] Mattison — 'Can you imagine being in this environ- ment and not taking advantage of every opportunity you have on the football field? I can't even imagine it.' "I think we've had a lot of guys taking advantage of their opportu- nity." Look at the breakdown by position groups, and it becomes even harder to imagine. DEFENSIVE LINE All-American defensive tackle Mau- rice Hurst is gone, but as fate would have it one of the defensive stars of the spring looks ready to stand in the gap. Moreover, with the defensive de- velopment last year the Wolverines could be as deep up front as they were in 2016, with two full lines to rotate. Everybody — from Harbaugh on down — is talking about junior tackle Michael Dwumfour, a potential heir apparent to Hurst. Dwumfour per- formed in nine games last season, but has taken his game way up, according to his coaches, and himself. "I've gotten to a certain point where I can dominate now instead of think- ing, and just go and do my job," Dwumfour said this spring. "To take somebody's spot like Mo, you have to know what you're doing. I had to mature as a football player and under- stand the game more. Now I'm able to play faster … "What I use to motivate myself is to go out there and let my coaches know that we have a three-technique [tackle]. I just try to play how my coach wants me to play." "The guy that was taking great steps a year ago, during the bowl prep, was Dwumfour," Brown con- firmed. "He hasn't slowed." "Mike is a baller," insisted sopho- more center Cesar Ruiz. "I can say that right now, Mike's a baller. He's going to turn a lot of heads this year." While Dwumfour is the rising rela- tively unknown up front, the knowns are many. They begin with one of the best defensive end duos in the coun- try, junior Rashan Gary — whom Har- baugh dubs Michigan's best player — and fifth-year senior Chase Winovich. Between the two first-team All-Big Ten defensive ends (Gary earned the honor from the coaches, while Winov- ich received the nod from the media), they accounted for 14 sacks, 30 tackles for loss and 145 total stops a year ago. When Winovich made the decision to return in 2018, Gary admitted to excitement rivaling the level he feels with a clear path to an opposing quar- terback. Gary noted: "He called me and said: 'Yeah, let's do it. Let's become the best defensive end duo in the country.' I yelled: 'Let's get it! Let's go!'" "Up front, Rashan Gary is Rashan Gary," Brown assured. "He's a good player, a tremendous player. Chase gives you everything he's got, every single day." Sophomore defensive end Kwity Paye got his feet wet in nine games last fall and can be strong in the rota- tion at defensive end, Brown noted. "This Kwity Paye came in here probably 235, 236 [pounds], out of nowhere in Rhode Island," Brown said. "He's 263 right now. He's like a muscle from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He's really ex- ceeded expectations." At tackle, sophomore Aubrey Solo- mon played in all 13 games as a true freshman last fall, becoming a starter in late October. He wound up with a pair of tackles for loss among his 18 stops, and a wealth of experience to take into this season, with Brown noting "the sky's the limit" with him. Fifth-year senior Bryan Mone should be ready as a run stuffer, the veteran coach indicated. "Bryan Mone is playing really well," Brown said. "I don't know what his weight is, but it's just so much better distributed throughout LOCKED AND LOADED Michigan's Defense Looks Ready To Dominate Junior end Rashan Gary, who was dubbed Michigan's best player by head coach Jim Harbaugh, leads the way for a deep defensive line group. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN