Michigan Football Preview 2017

2017 Michigan Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 97 DEFENSIVE LINE be able to get by on his strength. "He's got that wide body that's perfect for the position, and in the past I've compared him to [Detroit Lions five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle] Haloti Ngata … just a huge, wide body and athletic. "He's a guy offensive linemen are going to have to combo block in a four-man front, using the center with either the right or left guard. That will allow the Mike linebacker to be free if Mone can occupy two guys." Mone doesn't have Hurst's explosive first step, but he doesn't need to, Skene said. "You'd like to see it get quicker, but it might not be realistic," he said. "That doesn't mean he's not going to be a very effective player — maybe not the highest-level NFL player, but he can make it. Between Mone and Hurst, they're looking pretty good in the middle." Finding backups will be critical, and it could be one of the keys to a successful season. Last year's line was so good because they were able to rotate two of them, like a complete line change in hockey, and barely miss a beat, keep- ing players fresh for the fourth quarter. Defensive line coach Greg Mattison experi- mented at tackle this spring with former defen- sive ends in redshirt junior Lawrence Marshall (6-4, 268), still looking for significant playing time after four years, and redshirt freshman Ron Johnson (6-4, 245). Redshirt freshman Michael Dwumfour (6-2, 300) notched two tackles, one for loss against Hawai'i last year, before he struggled with some injuries last year that should allow him to get a redshirt. Defensive coaches mentioned him as one to watch after he came back later this spring, started working out a bit and began showing off some of his athleticism. He also appears to be in great shape, having posted videos of his workouts on Twitter in which he looked better than ever. Mattison also mentioned redshirt freshman walk-on Carl Myers (6-3, 268) as one who could be in the mix. The defensive end positions, meanwhile, seem to be in great hands, though there will be some proving to do there, too. Wormley played ahead of Gary last year for a reason. While the precocious freshman didn't set records his first year, he was a solid backup. He played in all 13 games at defensive end and contributed 27 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack. Expectations will be much higher this year FYI Sophomore Rashan Gary is ranked as NFL.com's No. 9 college football prospect overall heading into the season and is the highest-rated prep Michigan has ever signed as the consensus No. 1 overall player in 2016. He was coached by Michigan assistant Chris Partridge for three years at Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, the same school that produced incoming freshman linebacker Drew Singleton, former Michigan line- backer Jabrill Peppers and current offensive lineman Juwann Bushell-Beatty. Redshirt junior Chase Winovich was an Academic All-Big Ten selection a year ago. He played linebacker and tight end before settling in at the defensive end position last year. Sophomore Carlo Kemp started out as linebacker last spring before moving back to defensive end in the fall. Redshirt freshman Michael Dwumfour was a childhood friend of Gary and went to high school with Michigan redshirt freshman running back Kareem Walker. Freshman Kwity Paye was born in a refugee camp in Guinea in November 1998, and his mother fled Liberia with him during a civil war. His father still lives in Africa. Maurice Hurst Jr.'s father, Maurice Hurst Sr., played in the NFL as a defensive back for the New England Patriots. Maurice Jr. wears No. 73, his father's NFL number (37) backwards. Hurst is NFLDraftScout. com's No. 2 defensive tackle for the 2018 NFL Draft. Fifth-year senior tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. is extremely motivated to have a big season after being snubbed from the All-Big Ten teams last year despite record- ing 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Rushing Yds Rushing Yds Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2016 1,550 119.2 3.2 2015 1,589 122.2 3.6 2014 1,412 117.7 3.2 2013 1,822 140.2 3.8 2012 1,957 150.5 3.8 Rushing Yds Rushing Yds Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2011 1,712 131.7 4.0 2010 2,456 188.9 4.4 2009 2,063 171.9 4.4 2008 1,643 136.9 3.6 2007 2,039 156.8 4.0 YEAR-BY-YEAR RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED

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