Michigan EDGE rotation coming together, how Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are 'different'

Michigan Wolverines football junior EDGE Derrick Moore finished with 6 tackles for loss and 6 sacks last season, playing in all 15 games and logging 410 defensive snaps. However, Moore was technically a backup, and so was senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart (8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks).

Michigan was extremely deep at edge rusher, with current NFL Draft prospects Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell playing ahead of Moore and Stewart.

Moore and Stewart were both on the field for Michigan’s final overtime stop against Alabama in a 27-20 win in the CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl — one of the most iconic plays in program history. Moore made the tackle, but Stewart blew up Crimson Tide right tackle JC Latham, causing disruption at the line of scrimmage on fourth down.

“Going back to that play, I don’t really think about that play a lot because I really think like Josaiah made that play more than me,” Moore said.

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He said he didn’t need to make that tackle to have confidence heading into this season — it’s already there. Now, he’s trying to bring his teammates along with him as a leader.

“Being a backup from last year and then going into this year, what’s more getting to me is stepping up and being a leader for this team,” the 6-foot-3, 258-pounder said. “We got a lot of young guys on this team.

“Obviously, everybody knows we lost a lot of seniors [from the 2023 team] and a lot of guys that were great leaders. My biggest focus right now for the team is being able to step up, play that leadership role that we had last year so the team can make it to another national championship.”

On the field, Moore is working on his pass-rush skills.

“I’ve been targeting a lot of different areas,” Moore said of his focus during Michigan’s spring practices. “I’m really trying to focus right now on learning the different pass rush angles that I can understand when rushing against an offensive lineman, how to set up my pass rush moves and knowing the tendencies of them. I know how to play off all of my rushes and set other rushes up. Then when it comes down to the fourth quarter and things like that, I’m able to make a play. I’m really just working on my rush angles right now.”

Stewart and Moore make up an EDGE duo with a lot of experience and production under their belt. Stewart opted to return for another season, forgoing the NFL, and Moore was excited about the decision.

“It means a lot. Also for me personally, it means a lot,” Moore said of Stewart’s return to Michigan. “Having him on the other side of me, I need him. It means a lot to the defense, just being able to have guys come back who have played and had experience and things like that.”

Michigan rotated quite a bit along its defensive line last season — evidenced by the large roles Moore and Stewart played as backups — and will need some more edge rushers to step up this season.

“I would say from the edges, I’ve seen a lot of guys step up,” Moore said. “Guys like [senior] TJ Guy, he’s having one hell of a spring ball right now. [Sophomore] Cam[eron] Brandt, he’s also stepping up to having a great spring ball.”

Guy has been mentioned by multiple Michigan players and coaches as having improved.

“With us losing a lot of leaders, TJ is also trying to step up,” Moore said. “With this being his senior year, he’s also trying to step up and be that leader and also be that guy to be in the depth with me and Josaiah and also Cam, who’s also coming along. He’s fully locked in and fully ready for this season.”

Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant ‘just different’

Moore was asked about Michigan’s dynamic defensive tackle duo of juniors Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, who rank first and sixth, respectively, among PFF’s top returning interior defensive linemen in the country entering the 2024 campaign.

“I don’t think I got too much to say about them,” Moore said with a smile. “They’re just Mason and KG. They’re going to dominate no matter what. I also appreciate having those two big boys in the middle. I don’t have too much to say about them.”

When pushed to say a bit more about what Graham and Grant have done on the field this spring, Moore also had to bite his tongue but alluded to a great play Graham made.

“Recently, I wish y’all was here, but recently, Mason just did something incredible,” Moore said. “I don’t want to talk about it, but he did something incredible. Hopefully, when it’s time for game time, you’ll be able to see it. Hopefully, he’ll make a play off of it, and it’ll be crazy.

“But they’re two studs in the middle. They can do anything. You can double team them, they’ll still beat it. You can triple team them, they’ll still beat it. You can drop them into coverage, they’ll track it down. They’ll do whatever you need. It’s crazy; I ain’t never seen D-tackles to ever do it. I’ve been around a lot of D-tackles, but they’re different; they’re really different.”