Michigan DL Enow Etta opened up about his initial resistance to last season’s position change, leadership in the locker room, and finding his purpose at defensive tackle:
When Enow Etta committed to Michigan out of Colleyville, Texas, he had a clear vision of how his football journey would unfold — dominate as an edge rusher. On this week’s In The Trenches , Etta opened up about how that vision was disrupted and how it ultimately led him to something better.
“I was always a bigger edge, but my athleticism made up for it,” Etta said. “Even being my freshman year at Michigan, I was like 280, but I could move. So the coaches were like, ‘Yeah, you can lose a little weight,’ but it wasn’t a big deal because I was good on power rushes, good holding the point of attack.”
Etta appeared in three games as a true freshman in 2023, but the new coaching staff saw Etta’s frame as a better fit for the interior. That wasn’t what he signed up for — literally.
“I came here because coach Elston wanted me as an edge,” Etta explained. “So after those guys left — coach Elston, coach Roney, and the old staff — the new guys put me at D-tackle. And I was like, ‘Man, this is what I was trying to avoid.’ I was in denial at first. It was like, ‘Bro, what should I do?’”
Etta admitted that in the moment, the thought of entering the transfer portal crossed his mind. But he knew that this was his new path and it was better for him to move to the interior.
The move inside was physically and mentally demanding. Etta bulked up to more than 300 pounds and embraced the gritty work of learning the position under new position coach Lou Esposito.
“Coach Espo is a great coach,” he said. “He’s one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had because he’s more of a mentor to me. Just the way he talks to me — he’ll correct me, but it’s because you can tell it’s because he wants to see you do better. And he’ll always be encouraging guys, even in the meetings. He’ll break you down, he’ll build you up when he’s critiquing you. If you mess up on a block, he’s like, ‘Bro, you’re so big and strong, just get your hands right.’”
That balanced feedback, coupled with some learning curves along the way, helped Etta find confidence within his new role on the interior. There were growing pains along the way, but he admitted the switch was “probably one of the best things to happen to my career.”
Now entering his third season, Etta is firmly in the mix for serious playing time in Michigan’s defensive tackle rotation alongside Rayshaun Benny, Trey Pierce, Tre Williams, Damon Payne Jr. and Ike Iwunnah. He’s also aiming to take on more of a leadership role, helping to restore the championship mentality he witnessed as a freshman during the Wolverines’ national title run.
“I think the biggest thing is just having everybody bought in,” Etta said. “In 2023, everyone knew what they wanted. And me coming in as a freshman who’s never been part of a big program, seeing guys like Mike Sainristil, Blake, J.J., Trevor Keegan, all those guys setting the standard. You could tell we were gonna do something that year with the mindset those guys were instilling in us.”
Etta now sees it as part of his job to carry that mindset forward.
“That’s something we need to bring back,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s completely gone, but I think we need more guys to step up into that leadership role. And that’s something I’m trying to really force myself into doing because it is hard, definitely being the guy that has to speak up. Sometimes you don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, and I think I’ve gotten past that stage. But that’s what we need, just that cohesion, everyone being together and everyone having that one-track mind.”
With a new outlook, an improved comfort level in his role with the defense and a growing voice in the locker room, Etta’s journey may not have started the way he imagined — but it’s shaping up to be something even better.