CBS Sports: Michigan football has a top five front-seven heading into the season
Offense rules the college football world, but as Georgia has shown the past two seasons, defense does matter. UGA is a prime example that defense can still win you a national championship, especially if you have a good offense to go with it.
Michigan appears to be a team this season that has a chance to win it all. The Wolverines should have a good-to-great offense and the Wolverines should have another top-10 defense.
CBS Sports ranked the top five front-sevens entering the 2023 football season. Michigan came in at No. 2 right behind the Bulldogs.
All-Big Ten linebackers Junior Colson and Michael Barrett are back after finishing as Michigan’s top-two tacklers last season, and Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausman enters that room after registering 50 tackles a season ago. A defensive line that generated the Big Ten’s top run defense last year is now without Mazi Smith and Mike Morris, but returns starting defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and defensive end Jaylen Harrell after the two combined for 84 tackles in 2022. Defensive tackle Mason Graham and edge rusher Braiden McGregor are poised to take leaps forward after appearing in all 14 games with five starts last season. Josiah Stewart makes for another talented portal addition after earning all-conference honors a Coastal Carolina, where he started 17 games over the past two seasons. That’s enough for the Maize and Blue’s front seven to pick up right where it left off.
Even with the Wolverines losing Mazi Smith and Mike Morris, Michigan has too many guys with game experience to slow down. Jesse Minter enjoys rotating players to stay fresh and gain valuable experience. The maize and blue had the nation’s No. 6 total defense last season to go along with the No. 7 run defense. Look for Michigan to be right in that spot again this season, if not better thanks to the dominating front seven.
Here is how the top five rounded out:
Michigan
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