Tag: Shaun Nua

Which young player could be a surprise in Michigan’s defensive rotation?

If you checked out our defensive depth chart projection, this should come as no surprise.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The past several years, since Jim Harbaugh took over the team in the 2015 season, fans have gotten used to seeing a strong rotation up front, particularly on the defensive line.

The line will look different these days, with the defensive ends potentially moving back in the formation, now known as outside linebackers. With a 3-4 base, that means that we’ll now see three defensive tackles up front compared to having two tackles and two edge rushers as we have in recent years.

So what will the rotation look like? Will the Wolverines consistently cycle players in and out like we used to see Don Brown do? It all depends on how good the depth is once games are played, defensive line coach Shaun Nua says.

“I think we could play all of them but whatever the standard is for us necessary to win the game, that’s what the rotation is gonna be based off of,” Nua said. “If the ones is the only group living up to the standard that is necessary – that’s who’s gonna be playing. If the twos go out there and stink it up, the ones are gonna be out there the whole time. The goal is to always have a good rotation and at the same time keeping the standard that’s necessary for us to win.”

We have a pretty good beat on who the starters likely are at defensive tackle, but is there any new name to look out for this year? Last year, we saw Julius Welschof and Jess Speight get a lot of time, but Nua says there’s a new name to be aware of.

“Look out for Kris Jenkins,” Nua said. “I think Kris Jenkins has a great opportunity to reveal his talent. We’re all excited to see how that goes. Kris Jenkins is one of the young guys, players that’s doing a good job coming along.”

Jenkins is entering his second year and he’s the son of Ypsilanti native former second-round pick out of Maryland, Kris Jenkins, who played ten seasons in the NFL and was a four-time pro-bowler.

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Other players

Nua touched on — and we really mean touched on — a few other non-starters in his Wednesday afternoon session with the media.

Asked what we’ll see from the aforementioned Welschof, Nua said:

“We’ll find out Saturday, really. But they’re all – no, no – they’re all eager to put out what their talents have and their skillset. And Saturday will be a great day to reveal that.”

Additionally, the Wolverines added some bulk in the middle in Oregon State transfer Jordan Whittley. Though Nua didn’t say much, he said that the job he’s done conditioning-wise has put him in a position to see the field. But it’s anybody’s guess as to when that might be.

“He’s done a great job changing his body. You’ll see Saturday. Or the next Saturday. Whenever you see Whittley!”

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RECAP: Shaun Nua discusses Michigan football’s defensive front

We got Shaun Nua’s media availability down to well under five minutes. Watch the highlights here!

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Sept. 1, 2021:

• Shaun Nua

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In accordance with Michigan football policy, the media isn’t allowed to upload more than 5 minutes of footage from any press conference. But we found our way around that. Giving you the best of every press conference, we cut out the questions to give you the straight answers, with the most interesting parts of each media availability taking center stage. WolverinesWire presents our new series: RECAP in five minutes or less.

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Topics include:

• Expectations of the new defensive front
• What he’s seen Mazi Smith
• What Donovan Jeter needs to do to match the hype on game days
• Thoughts on new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald

And MORE!

Michigan completes defensive coaching staff

The defensive coaching staff for Michigan football is complete heading into the 2021 season.

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Michigan finally completed its defensive coaching staff, and while there were some rumored hires on the way, only two came to pass, ultimately.

The Wolverines announced that, in addition to new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, they’re hiring two new defensive coaches while retaining two. Shaun Nua will continue to coach the defensive line while Brian Jean-Mary will continue to work with the linebackers.

As far as the new additions are concerned, they’re two that were reported previously. New safeties coach George Helow comes aboard from Maryland after coming up through the SEC in various stops, while avid recruiter and recent Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist will coach the defensive backs in addition to being the co-defensive coordinator. Macdonald will still be considered the defensive coordinator-proper.

Full release:

University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday (Jan. 20) the hiring of Maurice Linguist and George Helow to the defensive coaching staff. Linguist will serve as defensive backs/co-defensive coordinator and Helow will coach the safeties for the Wolverines.

“Maurice and George are outstanding additions to our defensive coaching staff,” said Harbaugh. “They are highly regarded and well-respected coaches who have worked with some of the top defensive minds in college football. Their experience at some of the top programs in the country will benefit our team and student-athletes. Michigan Football welcomes Maurice, George and their families and look forward to them joining our football family and university community.”

In addition, Harbaugh announced that the program reached an agreement on a contract extension with Shaun Nua to continue as the team’s defensive line coach. Brian Jean-Mary will work with the linebackers. Those personnel moves complete the defensive coaching staff for the Wolverines under first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Following is biographical information and comments from Linguist and Helow about joining the Michigan staff:

Maurice Linguist Comment on Michigan

“I have always had an appreciation and an admiration for Coach Harbaugh and his accomplishments at the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan is full of college football’s best traditions, and I cannot wait to get started. I look forward to leading and serving the young men in the program, developing life-long relationships, and competing at the highest of levels on the field. My family and I look forward to getting to Ann Arbor, and we are beyond excited to join the Michigan family. Go Blue!”

Maurice Linguist Biographical Information

Linguist joins the Michigan football staff as defensive backs/co-defensive coordinator after spending the 2020 football season as the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Prior to joining the Cowboys staff, Linguist was the cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M for two seasons (2018-19).

In Dallas, Linguist directed a secondary that forced 10 interceptions while allowing the fifth-fewest passing first downs in the league (180). The Cowboys were also ranked in the top half of the league in pass yards allowed (11th), completion percentage against (10th) and takeaways (ninth). Linguist coached rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs (three interceptions) to a strong first season in the league. Three of Dallas’ four leading tacklers in 2020 were starters in the secondary, including former Wolverine Jourdan Lewis who set a career-high with 59 stops. Safety Donovan Wilson, whom Linguist coached at Texas A&M, led the Cowboys in takeaways (two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries) and was third on the team with 71 tackles.

Linguist has worked with college secondaries at eight programs. Most recently, he coached cornerbacks at Texas A&M (2018-19), defensive backs at Minnesota (2017) and safeties at Mississippi State (2016).

At A&M, Linguist’s secondaries limited opportunities for opponents and played tight coverage in key situations. Teams converted just 31.2 percent of third down tries (102-of-326) over his two seasons and A&M ranked ninth nationally in that category in 2018. The Aggies intercepted their opponents 19 times in his two seasons and made a habit of getting off the field. During the 2018 season, the defense was top-15 nationally in first downs allowed (221) and faced the fewest snaps against among all SEC teams. The defense made a dramatic improvement in pass efficiency defense from 2018 to 2019, jumping from 106th nationally to 26th in the country.

Linguist helped the Aggies produce back-to-back top six recruiting classes nationally in 2019 and 2020. He was the lead recruiter for five-star safety Jaylon Jones, the first-ever five-star defensive back to sign with Texas A&M.

In his season at Minnesota, Linguist’s secondary helped anchor a defense that finished No. 11 nationally with 174.5 yards allowed per game after listing 73rd in the NCAA a year earlier. The unit surrendered 16 touchdowns, a top-25 figure nationally, and also ranked among the nation’s best in first downs allowed (11th), and total defense (30th). Linguist was the lead recruiter for Rashod Bateman, the Big Ten’s Wide Receiver of the Year. Linguist was promoted to assistant head coach following the 2017 season before accepting a position at Texas A&M.

At Mississippi State, Linguist led the safeties group which was responsible for seven of the team’s 14 interceptions. Three safeties eclipsed the 50-tackle mark for the Bulldogs: Brandon Bryant (62, three PBUs), Kivon Coman (58, four PBUs), and Mark McLaurin (51, seven PBUs) were among the team’s leading tacklers. The defense scored four touchdowns (No. 8, NCAA) and totaled 14 interceptions (No. 35, NCAA) during the 2016 season.

Prior to his time in Starkville, Linguist coached defensive backs at Iowa State (2014-15) and Buffalo (2012-13), earning the title of defensive passing game coordinator in his second year at both schools. He coached players to three All-Big 12 honors in his two seasons at Iowa State, including safety Kamari Cotton-Moya, a first-team freshman All-American by the Football Writers’ Association of America (FWAA). Cotton-Moya led the team in tackles and was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year on defense. Linguist would help direct cornerback Brian Peavy to be a finalist for the award the following year.

At Buffalo, Linguist helped the Bulls finish second in the MAC East and reached the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2013. The unit ranked second in the league in interceptions (15), points per game allowed (24.4), and yards per game allowed (382.2). Linguist coached Najja Johnson to first-team all-conference honors and a career total of 38 pass breakups, No. 2 in program history. Johnson led the MAC in interceptions the year earlier as part of a Bulls unit that was tops in the conference in pass completion percentage allowed while ranking second in pass defense.

Linguist spent three years at James Madison, helping the program pull in the top FCS recruiting class during the 2012 cycle while the team reached the second round of the NCAA Football Championship Series Playoffs. He helped JMU rank among the top 20 teams in FCS in scoring defense three consecutive seasons (2009-11).

Linguist’s first full-time position was at Valdosta State, working with defensive backs and special teams. The Blazers went 9-3 and earned a No. 12 national ranking in Division II.

Linguist began as a graduate assistant at Baylor, his alma mater, working as a graduate assistant with the strong safeties and rover backs. During his career at Baylor, he was a defensive MVP and honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. He made 24 starts in 42 appearances as a strong safety from 2003-06. A native of Dallas, Texas, Linguist graduated from Baylor with degrees in communications (2006) and a master’s in health, human performance and recreation (2007). He was an Academic All-Big 12 honoree.

Linguist and his wife, Stacie, have a daughter, Maura (4), and son, Lance (18 months). Stacie is a practicing attorney that is barred in five states [Texas, Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota and Washington (DC)].

George Helow Comment on Michigan

“I am incredibly excited and grateful to be joining the Michigan Football program, a school with a rich tradition and history of winning. I am looking forward to developing great players who are also upstanding citizens. This is an outstanding opportunity to work with Coach Jim Harbaugh, one of the best in the business, and the great coaching staff that he has assembled at Michigan. I can’t wait to get to work. Go Blue!”

George Helow Biographical Information

Helow (pronounced He-LOW) joins the Michigan football staff as safeties coach after spending the 2020 season as the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach at the University of Maryland. Helow has been a member of two national championship teams and worked with some of the college football’s top defensive minds.

He spent four seasons at Colorado State University (2016-19) prior to joining the Terrapins staff. Helow coached the safeties during his final two seasons on staff, after working with the outside linebackers as a defensive quality control coach and graduate assistant during the 2016-17 seasons.

Helow oversaw a secondary that allowed just 181.6 yards per game in 2019, the seventh-best pass defense in the country and the top-ranked in the Mountain West Conference. Safeties Jamal Hicks and Logan Stewart combined for 193 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Rams. Hicks earned first-team All-MWC and helped lead a pass defense that held seven opponents under 200 passing yards.

In his first season mentoring the safeties, three of Helow’s defensive backs ranked in the top five in tackles on the team in 2018. The Rams ranked fourth in pass defense in the MWC.

Helow has coached at some of the nation’s top programs during his career, with stints at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. Helow helped the Seminoles win a national title in 2013 as a defensive graduate assistant coach. He also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia (2014-15) where he worked with the safeties.

In 2012, Helow broke into the college coaching ranks as a member of the Alabama staff under Nick Saban. He was an intern in the weight room during the spring and summer before working as a defensive intern for coordinator Kirby Smart during the fall. The Crimson Tide allowed just 10.9 points per game during the year and went on to win the national title against Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.

Helow played collegiately at the University of Mississippi from 2006-10. After redshirting in 2006, Helow saw his first career action against Louisiana Tech in 2007 and went on to play in all 38 games for Ole Miss during the 2008-10 seasons, including back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in 2009 and 2010. He led the Rebels in special teams tackles during the 2010 season and was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player who began their career as a walk-on.

Helow graduated from Ole Miss with a business degree in marketing and added a master’s degree in adult education during his time at Georgia.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Helow played at Bishop Kenny High School and later attended Hargrave Military Academy Prep School in Chatham, Virginia, before enrolling at Mississippi. Helow returned to his alma mater, Bishop Kenny, to coach with his younger brother Peter after graduating from Ole Miss.

What Shaun Nua sees in Michigan’s defensive line struggles

The Michigan football defensive line hasn’t generated nearly as much pressure as usual and the team DL coach discusses why.

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Currently mired in a three-game losing streak, the program’s longest in a single-season since dropping their final three games of the 2017 campaign, there is more than just a singular issue plaguing Michigan football.

One of the most glaring, however, has been the lack of pressure generated by the defensive line. After posting five sacks in the season-opening victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Oct. 24, the Wolverines have totaled just one sack in the last three games, which came in the loss to the Wisconsin Badgers on Nov. 14.

Second-year defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff after one season under Herm Edwards with the Arizona State Sun Devils, appeared on the Inside Michigan Football radio show with Jon Jansen on Monday to discuss his young – and banged up – position group and where they go from here.

Prior to embarking on his coaching career as an intern with BYU in 2009, Nua played for the Cougars from 2003-05 and spent three seasons on National Football League rosters with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills, meaning he can relate to the frustration his players are feeling.

“You rely on the leadership that you have from your coaches, to the leaders on your team, especially your teammates, people that have your best interest,” Nua said. “It’s very, very easy, for times like this, for you to be very, very down and depressed and start pointing fingers. Truth is, it’s very simple, you just go the mirror and look in there and see what you can do better. That’s probably the main thing I learned through all the adversity as a player and now as a coach, it holds true then, and it still holds true now.

“What can you do as an individual to get better? What can I do as a coach to help my guys? What can I do as a coach to help the other coaches? That’s kind of my focus right now, just dig deep, humble yourself, and figure out what the heck is going on.”

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While not completely absolving the defensive line for their struggles, Nua’s young men have been hit particularly hard by the injury bug.

The team’s starting defensive ends, junior Aidan Hutchinson and senior Kwity Paye, are presently sidelined. The former left the game against the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington on Nov. 7 with a fracture in his right leg and will likely miss the remainder of the season, while the latter was unavailable for the Wisconsin contest due to a reported groin injury.

“Anytime you lose players the caliber of those two, you want to change, but you don’t want to change too much, not in a panic mode,” Nua said. “You still got to have faith in the guys that are up next, you know, next guy up mentality, but at the same time, the hardest part, you lose two leaders. That’s probably just as much of them as players.

“The challenge now falls, not just on the players that are stepping up, but myself to make sure, not only their mindset is right, but that they know what they’re doing so that way they can perform at a higher level.

“Losing those two definitely is a challenge, but I also look at is as an opportunity for guys like (redshirt sophomore) Taylor Upshaw, all the younger guys, (redshirt junior) Luiji Vilain, (redshirt freshman) Gabe Newburg, for those guys to step up and see what they can do. That’s what we’re going through right now.”

With Hutchinson and Paye out of action, redshirt senior Carlo Kemp slid out from his normal tackle spot to end against the Badgers. As Nua shared, having an experienced player with this type of versatility is a luxury and someone the younger guys can learn from.

“It means the world because it’s a very sensitive thing,” he said. “Does that mean you have lesser faith in the guys that were there? No, it’s just you want to put the best players on the field, and we have good faith in (Christopher) Hinton and (Donovan) Jeter inside, and Kemp was the next best guy.

“To have him, it’s not like he hasn’t played the position before, he played it two years ago, so, it was almost like an easy move for us to say, ‘OK, we’re playing Wisconsin, let’s get some bigger bodies out there.’

“He did a heck of a job getting the plays down, especially the technique and the fundamentals to play on that edge, he did a good job.”

One of the few positive takeaways from the 38-point loss to Wisconsin, which was the program’s worst home defeat in nearly 85 years, was the extended action some of the younger ends saw, particularly Upshaw and Vilain. Nua took a moment to comment on what he saw from some of his less experienced student-athletes.

“Obviously, not good enough for us to win, but very, very encouraging to see them get in there and make some plays,” he said. “Taylor (Upshaw) did a great job of taking advantage of some of the plays that came his way and made some plays. The experience they get is invaluable, it’s constantly strengthening their foundation of them continuing to become better players.

“Unfortunately, their time has come a lot faster than we thought with Kwity (Paye) and Aidan (Hutchinson) being out, but it’s still a good opportunity for all of them. Guys like Gabe Newburg, Taylor Upshaw, Luiji Vilain, huge, huge opportunity for them to get better, get some experience.”

Paye was in sweats on the sideline on Nov. 14, but Nua remained vague when Jansen asked about when fans will see him back on the field.

“Hopefully, as soon as possible. The sooner, the better, and I know he’s working his butt off trying to get back as fast as possible.

“His influence on these guys is very, very high, they respect him a lot. I told him, ‘Do not shy away during the game, you’re basically one of the coaches now, go help out, whatever you see, help out the guys on the edges.’

“And that’s exactly what he did because his experience is invaluable for us. He did a good job communicating with the guys on the sideline and it was fun to watch him see the game from that perspective. Hopefully, we get him soon.”

Transitioning to the interior of the line, Nua laid out the plan for steady improvement for sophomore Christopher Hinton, redshirt junior Donovan Jeter, and redshirt freshman Mazi Smith.

“Consistency,” Nua said. “Especially with Jeter and Chris Hinton, consistency is my biggest challenge to them, consistently dominant the middle.

“We all know we’re not there yet, so, the challenge for them is consistency. Mazi Smith and (redshirt junior) Jess Speight, they don’t have a lot of experience in there, so, that’s what they need. Whatever reps they get is huge for their development.

“The two veteran guys, Hinton and Jeter, the challenge for them is to consistently be dominant, and be more dominant in the middle.”

The next chance for the defensive line to generate some pressure and build some confidence among the fans will come on Saturday against Greg Schiano’s Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-3) at 7:30 p.m. EST on the Big Ten Network.

Rutgers is averaging just 328.8 yards per game, a total that ranks No. 104 among Football Bowl Subdivision programs, and has surrendered eight sacks, suggesting this matchup could be exactly what Nua’s group needs.

Why Quintin Somerville chose Michigan, how he feels he fits in

Michigan football commit Quintin Somerville shares why he chose Ann Arbor, how he fits in and why he loves Khalil Mack in an exclusive.

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2021 Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville has as impressive an offer sheet as anybody.

He has a veritable ‘who’s who’ of high-end opportunities at his disposal: Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Auburn and both in-state Arizona schools. But in the end, he picked Michigan above all.

Somerville had visited Ann Arbor twice, but with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting in March, he couldn’t make it back to campus — nor could he go anywhere else — to solidify his future decision. However, between having been to Michigan, as well as his long-term relationship with defensive line coach Shaun Nua, Somerville felt that the Wolverines were his best option, hence his June 2020 commitment to join the maize and blue.

On Thursday, he shared why Michigan was the obvious choice for him with WolverinesWire.

“Since that visit, my recruiting from Michigan has just been incredible,” Somerville told WolverinesWire. “Obviously I got to meet all the coaches. Coach Brown and Coach Harbaugh were the coaches that I hadn’t really got to meet that I’ve been talking with every day. They were just incredible to me.

“And, of course, Coach Nua. Our relationship since he was at Arizona State. I’ve known him on a deeper scale because of my brother being a coach, as well. That relationship that we built when he was at Arizona State is really strong. I used to go into his office every day and talk to him. It’s just really special knowing that he’s been recruiting me this whole time and has that deeper care for me going into this thing.

“I guess what made me pull the trigger in the end, obviously the mix between academics and football – you can’t get much better than Michigan. With that coaching staff that they have currently, it’s just incredible.”

Somerville will be on campus sooner-than-later, as an intended early-enrollee, arriving in Ann Arbor after he partakes in the All-American Bowl on Jan. 9.

So, what is he looking forward to once he finally starts his college career?

“I plan on enrolling on Jan. 15, and in the thick of the winter!” Somerville said. “I’m not gonna be excited about that one, but besides that, just getting to know everyone. I didn’t get to meet everyone I wanted to meet when I was out there, player-wise. But, building a relationship with the team and getting to know the city more, it’s gonna be really special. What I’ve seen so far in the two trips I’ve taken to Ann Arbor, it’s just been really special. When my momma starts crying when she sees the stadium, that’s how you know it’s real!”

Until he gets to Ann Arbor, Somerville feels like he’s personally something of a work in progress, with multiple capabilities, but not necessarily a solid identity as a defensive end.

Still, at the moment, Michigan sees him as fitting into the role of one of the Wolverines’ biggest playmakers on the defensive line, and he’s spending a lot of time on his own working to emulate perhaps the NFL’s biggest standout at defensive end.

“Coach Nua – I send him clips every day of what we do at practice and in the games, of course,” Somerville said. “He keeps telling me I look different in every clip and he doesn’t know how I’m gonna project. But right now, he likes me at the Kwity Paye defensive end position. That’s where I think I’m gonna play going in, but obviously that’s subject to change once they see what I can do.

“Model-wise, I watch Khalil Mack a lot. Just seeing his violence off the ball, how he sets his hands and leverages his advantages – that’s incredible. So I’m modeling after that right now and trying to get some of those clips on my highlight tape.”

Why ‘freak’ Kwity Paye is poised for 2020 breakout

With the 2020 season set to begin shortly, Michigan football DL coach Shaun Nua explains why Kwity Paye is poised for a breakout.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — If Michigan has success up front and the defense rounds back into top 4 in college football once again, it’ll be in large part due to the return of senior defensive end Kwity Paye.

Paye has steadily improved over the course of his Michigan career, going from netting one sack as a freshman, to two as a sophomore before getting 6.5 in his first season as a starter as junior. Noted as The Athletic’s biggest ‘freak’ in its annual ‘freaks list,’ Paye is starting to get first-round NFL draft grades on the eve of the 2020 Big Ten season, so it’ll be incumbent upon him to make good on his physical prowess once Michigan takes the field.

So what’s behind his emergence? His defensive line coach Shaun Nua shared more about why Paye is poised to take off in 2020.

“First, he’s revealed who Kwity Paye is: very, very unselfish, loves Michigan, loves his teammates,” Nua said. “He wants to leave a legacy here that’s even beyond my own understanding. What he’s doing, you look around the country and you see young men opt in, opt out – and I’m not saying that’s right or wrong – but to see him not even flinch once throughout the whole pandemic, that puts Kwity at a whole different level in my book when it comes to character and the quality of man he is. But not surprised, it’s just, ‘Wow!’ I’m expecting a very good year, because he’s fricking dominating right now.”

Mentality and character can only get you so far, but there has to be a physical component to breaking out.

Nua notes that Paye has spent a lot of his offseason, not just studying technique to help him get better, but he’s also met virtually with those who are already doing what he wants to do — sacking the quarterback at the NFL level.

“He’s improved tremendously and he’s always been a good pass rusher, but he’s definitely took his pass rushing game to a different level,” Nua said. “Following the top NFL guys, whatever Zoom meetings they have, he’ll jump in, they’ll be able to talk about different stuff. Yeah, scheme can help, but if his strength is there and you keep sending him a different way – but Coach Brown has provided a lot of guys with a lot of sacks and (sent) a lot of defensive linemen to the NFL and we all see that. Hopefully – not hopefully, we will put him in the best position for him to execute and get to the quarterback.”

So with Paye being known as a ‘freak’ — something echoed by PFF’s Austin Gayle on the Locked On Wolverines Podcast — what does that mean to Nua? What does he see out of him on that front?

Turns out that, for a former Super Bowl-winning defensive lineman like Nua, it means he’s got some truly superior attributes that are rarely seen from typical players.

“It means he can physically do things that I wish I could do,” Nua said. “I lie to them so much – ‘I used to do that. I used to do this.’ But you watch it, just the weights, the balance of his and to combine that with the intelligence he has for the game, it’s just at a different level and it’s good to be part of it and to have a role to continue to enhance and get it better. But that’s what a freak is – someone who can do all the things that a majority of people can’t do physically.”

We’ll see just how good Paye can be in just over a week, when he takes the field for the first time this season at Minnesota, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 24.

A big challenge faces Michigan defensive front against Minnesota

Why the Minnesota offensive line will be the biggest challenge for Michigan football’s defensive front.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In just over a week, Michigan will take the field for the first time in 2020 since the VRBO Citrus Bowl against Alabama, and it will do so against a potentially daunting Minnesota team.

Though the Golden Gophers lose six starters on defense and five on offense, it still has a lot of playmakers returning — potentially on the offensive side of the ball. Gone are WR Tyler Johnson and RB Rodney Smith, but Minnesota returns all five starting offensive linemen from 2019, and most importantly, QB Tanner Morgan, who is the most prolific passer in Golden Gophers history, having set a single-season passing record last year with 3,253 yards and 30 TD passes — both records.

But the O-line is naturally the chief concern for Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua.

They’re big, he notes, which is certainly true. Per Minnesota, they’re listed as follows:

  • Blaise Andries – 6-foot-6, 325-pounds
  • Connor Olson – 6-foot-5, 305-pounds
  • Sam Schlueter – 6-foot-6, 325-pounds
  • Daniel Faalele – 6-foot-9, 400-pounds
  • Curtis Dunlap, Jr. – 6-foot-5, 345-pounds

By contrast, the Michigan defensive line averages a weight of 282-pounds, meaning, they’ll be giving up some heft, and will have to rely heavily on speed and technique to disrupt Morgan’s passing rhythm — easier said than done. Morgan had his best passing grades (per PFF) in some of Minnesota’s biggest games, with his best overall coming in the tilt against Penn State last year (94.0). In Minnesota’s other big games, he was a mixed back, with lower grades against Auburn (59.6) and Wisconsin (65.2), but really good in the loss to Iowa (90.7).

Still, despite the size and skill of the O-line, it was No. 94 in sacks allowed, giving up 30 total and 2.31 per game. They were middling, at No. 61, in tackles for loss allowed, with 5.62 per game.

Running back Mohamed Ibrahim — who had a team-leading 1,160 yards in 2018 and 604 yards in 2019 — takes up the mantle again as the starter, so even with Smith gone, it’s not like there isn’t experienced production at the position.

For Nua, though the defensive front has been identified as Michigan’s team strength, he recognizes that this is the biggest good-on-good matchup in the game. And for Michigan to have success, it’ll have to penetrate early and often.

“Very big O-line, veteran O-line coming back,” Nua said. “Still need to know, finalize who it is. I decided that, probably tomorrow, I’m completely committing myself to Minnesota. Right now we’re still focusing on us and trying to get us better.

“They have a very, very good scheme to help their O-line. The quarterback gets rid of the ball fast, good receivers, the running backs run hard. Huge offensive linemen and they bring in extra linemen sometimes to help out with their run game and protection of their quarterback. But it’s gonna be a very, very fun challenge for us, you know?”

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Thus far in college football, it appears that offenses have gotten the better of defenses — which is an odd occurrence given that defenses usually have the early advantage. While the numbers don’t necessarily bear much of a difference from year-to-year, as prolific offenses tend to show out, regardless, in what’s usually a non-confernece warmup slate, Nua wants to ensure that the defense gets out to a quick start and doesn’t allow Minnesota to get into any sort of rhythm.

Still, he’s watched the games and has seen all of the early offensive success. He’s just determined to see that Michigan doesn’t become one of those teams that struggles getting home like we’ve seen from some over the past month and a half.

“Why do I think that is? Just the fact that you missed spring ball, you missed fall camp, you missed the summer workouts,” Nua noted of defensive struggles in the early going. “I personally think that has a big reason for defensive struggling. But you also gotta ask then how are the offenses being successful? They missed the same amount of time, so is it easier to catch a snap and throw it or run it than defending it? So all of that comes in, but there was another interesting thing that came out – it’s harder to build a team, and defense is all team. If you don’t have all 11 guys bought in, that’s hard to do. It’s hard to play sound, aggressive defense if you don’t have all 11 guys bought into it. You may see the physical stuff that they missed from practice, but the camaraderie and morale of these defenses – where is it at? You make sure you answer that.

“Does it benefit us for a late start? Yes, because we get to see them struggle and then we’ve gotta try to address all of those issues. All the way from tackling to defense or team chemistry – all of that stuff. Whatever it is we’re trying to find out – why the heck are they struggling? We can’t always blame it on, ‘Oh, they missed spring ball or fall camp,’ because the defense isn’t doing good. Hopefully we can figure out and not follow that path.”

“Don’t know if you ever figure it out – you can’t answer that question until after the game, that first game,” “But we definitely are addressing it. Why are there high scores? We’re definitely addressing it to make sure we’re not following that same trend that’s going on.

“I’ll answer that after the first game or first two games.”

Michigan kicks off the 2020 season in Minneapolis on Oct. 24 at TCF Bank Stadium. The game will be nationally broadcast on ABC at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

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Shaun Nua says Taylor Upshaw ‘kills everything in his path’ at D-end

Michigan football coach Shaun Nua says Upshaw ‘has epitome D-line mentality, kills everything in his path.’ More on what can be expected.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One of the biggest gainers on the defensive line this offseason has been third-year DE Taylor Upshaw, having gained approximately 16-pounds according to the official rosters spanning from 2018-19. But more than that, this is the year he’s anticipated to be a solid rotational player.

When speaking about who’s behind the starters at defensive end — as Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson reprise their roles from a year ago — one of the names we’ve consistently heard about is Upshaw. Just over a week ago, defensive coordinator Don Brown mentioned him first behind the started edge rushers.

“Over behind Kwity, Taylor Upshaw – much bigger,” Brown said on Oct. 5. “In the 256-260 range where he was probably 235 a year ago. He’s able to handle the run game but still is fast and quick and his pass rushing ability is outstanding.”

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But what’s allowed him to take that step forward?

Formerly committed to Florida, Upshaw came in as a three-star prospect and was looked at as something of a project despite enrolling early. It didn’t help his chances of seeing the field that the Wolverines not only had entrenched starters in Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary — both future NFL players — but also the current starters in Paye and Hutchinson.

Defensive line coach Shaun Nua says that Upshaw already has the physical prowess, it was more of a matter of him getting that killer instinct, mindset-wise. And that’s precisely what he’s seen out of him in fall camp.

“The one thing that Taylor has is he has the epitome D-line mentality – kills everything in his path,” Nua said. “And I love it. Just gotta control it at times. But very, very explosive, very athletic young man. Great, great size, great frame. Improving a lot. He’s doing a great job of understanding the full aspect of the game. So he’s gonna be heavily involved in what we do, especially from a rotation standpoint. I’m excited for Taylor Upshaw.”

Upshaw got his feet wet in 2019, having appeared in six games total and five games defensively. He played 34 snaps on defensive line and 20 on special teams — numbers that will assuredly get much higher in 2020.

He’ll have his first opportunity come Oct. 24, when Michigan travels to Minnesota for the Big Ten season opener.

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After years of hype, why Donovan Jeter is ready to step into pivotal role in 2020

Why the fourth-year defensive tackle is poised to play a pivotal role for Michigan football, after years of hype not meeting production.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — We’ve heard it every year since 2018: Donovan Jeter is on the verge of breaking out.

A fourth-year player from outside of Pittsburgh, Jeter came to Ann Arbor with a lot of promise and showed out in his first appearance as a true freshman in Michigan’s 2017 spring game. However, that offseason, Jeter tore his ACL and was sidelined for what could have been a promising season.

We didn’t hear much about him until bowl prep in 2018, when before the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, his coaches and teammates starting seeing him step up, saying he could be a factor at defensive end with Rashan Gary having opted out. However, he contributed very little, with just one tackle in the game coming in as a reserve.

Before 2019, it was the same story — hype followed by little production. Now a defensive tackle, Jeter played just 93 defensive snaps the entire year, with the bulk of those coming in two of his nine game appearances — against Rutgers and Alabama. Now we’re hearing the hype again, but it’s significantly more emphatic, with defensive coordinator Don Brown saying last week, ‘Donovan Jeter is playing better than I ever could have anticipated he could play,’ and that sentiment being echoed by head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

So what’s caused him to be the point of praise this fall? How much can we really expect him to be the player we’ve long heard about? Defensive line coach Shaun Nua explained Jeter’s emergence on Wednesday.

“Jeter finally got into the – that comes with a lot of experience and just time – young men finally realizing, ‘I can do this. I can do this on a consistent basis,’” Nua said. “His mindset is part of the thing that’s changed in everything he does. Off the field, on field, with his teammates. Once that happens, everything seems to fall into place. He’s literally took his mindset into a place where it’s helping him produce at a very, very high level. And especially on a consistent basis. He’s in a very good place.”

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Now that this is Jeter’s fourth-year, he has but this and next year to establish himself as a high-profile player if he wants to live out his NFL dreams.

Formerly committed to Notre Dame before flipping to Michigan, with Greg Mattison (who’s now at Ohio State) overseeing his position when he arrived, he could envision himself following the likes of Taco Charlton, Chris Wormley and Ryan Glasgow — Wolverines who were all drafted following the 2016 season.

Knowing that time is running short for him to follow the aforementioned or others like Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary or Michael Danna — other NFL draft selectees — Jeter is pressing forward, looking to make sure he doesn’t squander the opportunity in front of him.

“I think it’s exactly what you said – sometimes all of us, we tend to not understand how fragile and how very, very limited the opportunities are,” Nua said. “He’s probably just sick and tired of not breaking through. It’s a combination of all of that. He’s finally realizing, ‘What the heck am I waiting for?’ There’s a lot of talks, we’ve had a lot of discussions about it and he’s finally seeing the light. Just hoping he’ll stay strong and have a good feeling it is. Once you realize your opportunities are very, very limited, either you fight back or you don’t – and he’s decided to fight back.”

It’s not only now or never for Jeter as it pertains to his own personal goals, but Michigan needs him to step up this year, as well. While there are contenders on the defensive interior, only Carlo Kemp is a returning starter and proven talent in the middle.

There’s competition between Jeter, sophomores Christopher Hinton and Mazi Smith, former walk-on Jess Speight and junior upstart Julius Welschof. The good news for Jeter is that he’s asserted himself enough so far that he’s ensured that he’ll be in on certain packages — whether he earns a coveted starting role or not.

“Right now, we are a little less than two weeks away from it, and the unique thing is we have different packages,” Nua said. “Whatever the situation comes in the game, he might be the starter in one package. That’s the beauty about it. They’re still definitely competing – him, Carlo, Hinton are some of the guys competing for those two spots inside, but it’s a great healthy competition. They all get along, they love it.

“Jeter is taking a leadership role especially within our room, not just for the (younger) guys, and that’s the beauty of it – when you do your job and start to lead by actions, it’s easy to lead. Because everybody’s like, ‘He’s not just blowing smoke and not doing it.’ So he is doing a good job of being a leader to the younger guys and especially to our group.”

We’ll see just how much Jeter has improved in just over a week, with Michigan traveling to Minnesota for the Oct. 24 season opener.

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Michigan 4-star DL target Rayshaun Benny not letting coronavirus rush commitment

Oak Park (Mich.) 2021 four-star defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny, one of Michigan’s top targets, isn’t letting COVID-19 rush his decision.

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Oak Park (Mich.) 2021 four-star defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny had big plans lined up for this spring.

Plans that have since been put on hold.

Visiting Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson, Ohio State and Auburn were on his to-do list before the novel coronavirus forced the NCAA to halt in-person recruiting.

“These visits were going to help me make my decision,” Benny told WolverinesWire. “Now I have to find the time to get these visits in.”

Many prospects in Benny’s recruiting class, like Cass Tech’s Kalen and Kobe King, have committed earlier than originally planned due to fear that their spot on a specific college roster would be taken by someone else.

But Benny isn’t going to let COVID-19 stand in his way of making a thorough decision. He will stay patient, wait until he’s allowed to visit all the schools he needs to check out and, eventually, make a choice.

“I’m not going to let it rush me,” he said. “I’ll take my time. That’s very important. I don’t want to commit and decommit. I want to commit once.”

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Just because Benny can’t take in-person visits doesn’t mean he’s not busy. His phone call log is filled with names of coaches from across the country.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound lineman said, in an unconventional way, the virus has made his life more hectic than he expected.

“Before, I had visits planned, but I’ve had to cut everything out because I can’t go anywhere,” Benny said. “But it became busy since everyone is inside their homes, so they’ve all got time to talk. My line has just been ringing.”

One of those schools is Michigan, a program in hot pursuit of Benny’s services on the defensive line. He talks to the coaching staff, primarily defensive line coach Shaun Nua, at least four times each week.

Benny also engages with head coach Jim Harbaugh, tight ends coach Sherrone Moore and director of recruiting Matt Dudek.

“I appreciate it,” he said. “That’s my hometown. If that’s the right fit and where the love is, then that’s where I’m going to go.”

Besides Michigan, the other teams most in contact with Benny include Iowa, Arkansas, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and Notre Dame. He has offers from 40 schools.

Since Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker was hired in February, the Spartans have increased their efforts in Benny’s recruitment. He hears plenty from defensive line coach Ron Burton and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic as well as maintaining a “good relationship” with Tucker.

“I like the new coaching staff,” Benny said. “I went up there and met everyone when we played Ohio State. I liked the energy and the vibe. You could tell it’s a new era vs. the Dantonio era.”

Benny’s teammate, three-star running back Davion Primm, was the first to join MSU’s 2021 class, doing so on March 7. Primm is actively recruiting his close friend to join him.

“I’ll get him first and go from there,” Primm said. “We’re very close, one of my best friends since my first day of practice.”

While most recruiting websites have Benny listed as an offensive tackle, U-M and MSU view him as a defensive tackle. Both schools believe he can play as early as his true freshman season.

“The fact that I’ve got a motor,” Benny said. “Nobody goes harder than me. Through everything, I just fight. What I want, I get. I’m a hard worker, and that’s the biggest thing. Giving it my all every play.”

Benny is ranked No. 127 in the nation, No. 16 at offensive tackle and No. 6 in Michigan, per the 247Sports composite.

Contact/Follow @WolverinesWire/ @EvanPetzold