Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant clogged up the middle in every game #Michigan played in 2024. On the outside, Josaiah Stewart was grading out at an elite level, and Derrick Moore developed in a massive way. @JakeMSinger reviews the 2024 Michigan football defensive line:
The Michigan Wolverines had to replace 16 starters from the 2023 season heading into head coach Sherrone Moore’s first year as head coach. Among those departing included three defensive linemen — Kris Jenkins, Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor.
Luckily for the Wolverines, they still had a ton of good players at the position. Week in and week out, the Wolverines showcased the immense talent they had on the defensive line, plugging up the middle with projected first-round picks Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and getting relentless pressure from Josaiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, TJ Guy and Cameron Brandt. The depth may not have been on display as much as it was in 2023, but everyone contributed to keep the pressure on opposing offenses.
Here is our review of Michigan’s defensive line from 2024.
Mason Graham
With uncertainty surrounding him across the rest of the defense, Graham was the anchor Michigan needed. He played a career-high 548 snaps in 2024, making 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also had 34 pressures, ranking him in the top-10 in the FBS. His performance earned him unanimous first-team All-American honors, and he was selected to the First Team All-Big Ten.
Despite double- and triple-teams in every game this season, Graham went up against the best offensive linemen in the country and was impactful in every game. Against USC, Graham had six tackles and a sack to help Michigan win its first ranked matchup of the season. Graham picked up two sacks in the home win over Minnesota, and also tallied a season-high seven tackles against Ohio State.
Kenneth Grant
Part of the reason Graham wasn’t facing five offensive linemen at the same time was because his teammate right next to him was also one of the best interior defensive linemen in the country.
In 2024, Grant played 547 snaps, racking up 32 tackles, three sacks and three quarterback hits. As a true one-technique, the Wolverines utilized Grant in the run game as the enforcer, and not too many opposing players got past him.
Grant showed up in some big moments. Some nose tackles are known for pure strength, but Grant showed his agility, quick hands and brute strength this season. Because of that, he is also projected to go in the first round of the NFL Draft .
Josaiah Stewart
With Harrell and McGregor gone, Stewart was expected to step up in a big way in 2024. Obviously it helps to have Grant and Graham clogging up the middle, but Stewart wreaked havoc on the edge regardless.
Stewart made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, making 33 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He got to the quarterback 27.1 percent of the time and he set the edge against the run, earning him a 92.8 PFF pass-rushing grade , tied for second among FBS edge rushers. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
Derrick Moore
For three of the defensive starters, 2024 was about perfecting their craft and preparing for the NFL. For Moore, however, it was getting himself into the conversation and putting together consistent snaps to eventually become the top edge in Ann Arbor.
Moore entered his junior season appearing in 29 games over two seasons, but he had not recorded a start. The former four-star from Baltimore was waiting for his time to enter into the starting lineup, and he did just that in 2024.
As junior this fall, Moore tallied 23 tackles, four sacks and four quarterback hits. Most notably, Moore compiled two sacks and a fumble recovery against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, letting the world know he is going to be a problem in 2025.
Future Outlook
The Wolverines have been generating NFL-caliber defensive linemen for quite some time now, and Graham, Grant and Stewart are the next up in that department. While they will be missed in 2025, Michigan will still have good players like Moore, Guy, Brandt and Rayshaun Benny ready to take another step forward.
In addition to those guys, the Wolverines are also bringing in interior linemen Damon Payne Jr. (Alabama) and Tre Williams (Clemson) from the transfer portal, as well as highly ranked four-star edge rusher Nate Marshall out of the high school ranks. Needless to say, the Wolverines’ defensive line should continue to wreck havoc on opposing offenses in the years to come.