Podcast 15.0A, 15.0B, 15.0C. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. Interior OL. Offensive Tackle. Edge.

DEFENSIVE INTERIOR: MOES HURST?

RATING: 5

To review: this is sort of a 3-4 and sort of a 4-3 under and sort of your bog standard 4-2-5. The interior has three "starters" in that there are three distinct roles, but because it is 2023 there will be two DTs on the field on the large majority of standard downs. Realistically the two starters are Graham and Jenkins, with Grant and Benny backing them up. Grant will get bonus snaps on short yardage when Michigan runs a 5-2 out there.

That out of the way: hell yes. Michigan returns Kris Jenkins, who could have been a day two pick in last year's NFL draft if he left. Jenkins has beefed up again, after beefing up last year. Mason Graham, who lived up to every bit of hype this site could throw at him and then some, will enjoy a freshman to sophomore transition after already checking in as one of the league's best DTs as a true freshman.

Behind these two guaranteed stars are a 340 pound man-planet who made Bruce Feldman's Freaks list last year and a highly touted redshirt sophomore who graded out like Graham in UFR a year ago. This spot is incredibly deep all of a sudden thanks to Michigan's ability to scout up-and-comers.

END: POWERED BY TENDIES

[Barron]

When KRIS JENKINS arrived on campus he just needed to eat. He was listed at 239 by 247 and showed up at Michigan at 265. He then added no weight in his first year, alarmingly, before adding 20 pounds last year. He tweeted about it and all the Michigan fans did the little hands emoji at him. This year:

Ngl i got beefed pic.twitter.com/4wUwVYNZNv

— Kris Jenkins (@KrisJenkinsJr1) May 26, 2023

Maybe that's the wrong meat to reference though:

Nah cause they are soo good https://t.co/EF6PNzIXd7

— Kris Jenkins (@KrisJenkinsJr1) August 24, 2023

Someone get this man an NIL deal STAT.

[After THE JUMP: ye gods]

Previously: The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. 

INTERIOR OL: YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY

Michigan's offensive line is coming off back-to-back Joe "Sherrone" Moore awards. They get back six guys who started games last year and added two of the Pac-12's best OL, plus a former five-star with a season and change of starting experience. Cocky? Nah. Call it confid—

On Zinter's proposed formation with 10 offensive linemen and a running back

You know, I get ... every day the linemen are sending me plays and formations. I'm like, 'can you guys just worry about what you got to do?'

Ok, cocky.

I am rapturous about Sherrone Moore rolling into the building every morning only for Keegan and Zinter to confront him with their latest ludicrous offense against God and football. They are both wearing full pads and helmets. Keegan sports his trademark faceful of eyeblack. They show him a play where three offensive linemen pull in different directions and then the ball is lateraled to a fourth OL. Moore tries very hard to remember that these guys are his ticket to a head coaching job next year and says he'll take it under advisement. Zinter and Keegan high five, elated. Exit stage right, repeat every day of the summer.

In addition to those two guys, Michigan added a two year starter and All Pac-12 honorable mention center to go with two more guys who I'd be perfectly comfortable starting. And the top backup at guard looked like he'd start at a majority of Big Ten schools last year, when he was a redshirt freshman.

Sometimes I think back to that time Rich Rodriguez got the Michigan job and arrived to find out he had a total of seven scholarship OL, one of whom was immediately lost for the season. This section's title is a riff on old lady cigarette ads, and I assume Rodriguez smoked several packs of lady cigarettes upon beholding the roster. That's over! ALL OF THAT IS OVER.

Michigan's offensive line is now a zombie apocalypse. You can shoot as many guys in the head with a shotgun as you want but the pile is gonna lurch forward with you under it.

[After THE JUMP: there is a PFF intern who deserves a whoopin']

Previously: Podcast 14.0A, 14.0B, 14.0C. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. Offensive Tackle.

The Joe Moore Award was started in 2015 by some Notre Dame OL with money who wanted to honor their old line coach. Mike DeBord's career spanned roughly the same time period as Joe Moore's, and by any metric was as successful. Had Jeff Backus thought to endow an award before former ND tackle Aaron Taylor, it might have been the Mike DeBord Award.

This would have been a superior development. It rhymes, for one. Two, I wouldn't have to keep specifying first names when differentiating between the line coach the award is named for, and the line coach whose guys won the award in his first-ever season as line coach.

Since nobody has the time to chart every OL, the award for most outstanding offensive line is as much about vibe as anything else. Eleven games into 2021, I would bet Michigan wasn't in the Might Have Been DeBord Award committee's top three. Eleven point seven-five games into 2021, this was the vibe:

Michigan should not pass the ball anymore.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) November 27, 2021

(But in a good way)

The two Michigan guards putting tears in the eyes of gruff former trenchmen who say "football" like "FOOT-ball" were just 2nd and 3rd year players with freshman eligibility. They lost an organized, underratedly agile walk-on but are joined by a transfer the Rimington voters thought was no worse than the 3rd best in college football. Our heuristics would be projecting a healthy charge up the rankings and hot-taking Moore's corps to win the Moore if they hadn't just done so.

The comparisons to 2000 and 2019 have already begun. The next generation has made the two-deep. The biggest questions people have about the interior OL are "How long can it last?" and "Can we buy them all Italian sports cars so they'll never leave?"

Michigan OL Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter sign a Lamborghini NIL deal with Xtremexperience. @bighitslive @DenoteHunter @DzikNoah pic.twitter.com/vGzgtwxHRq

— Bighitsnil (@Bighitsnil) May 23, 2022

Okay then, so how long can it last?