More agile Kenneth Grant 'competing for a starting spot' on Michigan defense that will 'surprise the world this year'
Michigan Wolverines football sophomore defensive tackle Kenneth Grant was listed at 6-foot-3, 359 last season but dropped 20 pounds ahead of the 2023 campaign. He’s still one of the biggest players on the team but is moving better, and he feels it’ll be to his benefit this season.
“[Michigan strength] Coach [Ben] Herb[ert] did a really good job,” Grant said. “I really focused with him and Abigail [O’Connor], our nutritionist to get down and be more compact and put more muscle on. I’m definitely happy. I move a lot better.
“It changed me a lot. I could be on the field a lot more. I have a lot more stamina. Our conditioning test, that really helped. I passed it with ease, to be honest. It made me realize how more agile and faster I can be if I just lose some weight.
“What you should expect is for me to be on the field more, not just on run downs. I can contribute against the pass, too, and go on long drives.”
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Grant played in all 14 games as a freshman in 2022, totaling 104 defensive snaps and recording 8 tackles. With Mazi Smith, a first-round NFL Draft pick, gone from the Michigan interior defensive line, there are snaps up for grabs, and Grant is confident he’ll earn some.
“I think I’m competing for a starting spot, definitely,” Grant said of his depth chart status. “There are a lot of guys in that D-line room that can start right now. But every day, I’ve gotta come out and just work, knowing that my spot isn’t solidified.”
With his improved agility, Grant is looking to become more like Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea, a 6-4, 347-pounder who is an incredible run-stuffer but also collapses the pocket and has collected 10.5 sacks over the last two seasons as a pass rusher.
“I really look at his film a lot,” Grant, who was ranked by On3 as the No. 102 overall player in the 2022 class, explained. “He’s a very stout guy. He’s also a pass rusher, but he can dominate the run pretty well, so I try to model my game after that.
“I describe my game just like him. I showed that this fall camp. That’s what I base my game off of.”
Michigan sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham is also competing for a starting job at nose tackle, and he’s the presumed favorite to earn the role. The two classmates have been feeding off each other during fall camp and since they arrived on campus last season (Graham was an early enrollee, while Grant was not).
“It’s an everyday battle,” Grant said of the dynamic between he and his fellow Michigan defensive tackle. “Every time we go on the field, after a play, we look at the play, and he tells me things that I can do better and he tells me things that he could do better. Just getting to know each other. I wouldn’t say getting to know each other, but knowing each other’s tendencies and trying to fix them.”
Added Grant, of what Graham does at a higher level than him: “Definitely his pass rush. He has a really good pass rush game. He’s very stout and strong. You wouldn’t think he’s strong, but he’s very strong.”
Senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is Michigan’s starting end/3-technique, and he’s taken a huge step forward this offseason, according to his teammates and coaches. He’ll make the job of Grant and Graham much easier this season.
“He’s really stepping up,” Grant said. “He’s being more of a vocal leader. Last year, he was a leader, but he was leading by example. But this year, he’s being more of a vocal leader and rubbing off on the guys.”
Jenkins has led the charge with the Michigan interior defensive line “obsessing” over improving its pass rush from a year ago. Improved cohesiveness between the tackles and EDGEs has been an emphasis, after the group had some breakdowns last season. They’re meeting together more as opposed to separately, and it’s paying off.
“Looking back on it last year, from an interior standpoint, we didn’t really push the pocket and get vertical,” Grant said. “This year, we’re really focusing on getting vertical and making the QB have to get the ball out faster, and push the pocket as fast as we can, while also being in collaboration with the edge rushers.”
The Michigan defense ranked sixth and seventh nationally in total and scoring defense last season, respectively. But Grant has even higher hopes for the Wolverines this fall.
“I feel like it can be even better,” Grant said of the Michigan defense. “A no-name defense, you might not know a lot of players, but we’ve got ball players this year. We’re gonna surprise the world, for sure.”
