Michigan’s defensive line looks absolutely loaded

Of all the position groups Michigan fans could spend time worrying about entering the season, the defensive line should be pretty far down the list.

We have spent much of the offseason talking about Dom Nichols as a player ready to make a significant jump. John Henry Daley has proven he can create problems off the edge when healthy. Then there is a collection of younger players with enough size, athleticism and pass-rush talent to make Michigan’s rotation legitimately difficult to predict.

Kyle Whittingham essentially confirmed all of it Monday.

Asked if he still believes the defensive line is one of Michigan’s strongest position groups, Whittingham did not hesitate.

“Still feel that way.”

Michigan, according to Whittingham, is five deep at defensive tackle and potentially seven or eight deep on the edge. His concern is not finding players capable of contributing. It is figuring out how to get enough of them onto the field.

That is a good problem.

Nichols has been one of our favorite breakout candidates all offseason. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, he has the length and athletic profile to become a major factor in Jay Hill’s defense, and Michigan does not need him to play every snap for him to make a major impact.

Daley being back to 100% is just as significant.

Whittingham gave a one-word answer when asked about Daley’s health Monday: “100%.” He also confirmed Nichols is back after battling something for a few days and said Michigan expects the two to generate plenty of pressure off the edge.

And then comes the fun part.

Lugard Edokpayi. Nate Marshall. Carter Meadows. Benny Patterson III. Tariq Boney.

That is a lot of young talent competing for snaps behind and alongside the veterans.

Marshall may be the most intriguing of the group. Whittingham called him one of Michigan’s best pure pass rushers and praised his natural ability to bend around the edge. More importantly, he went out of his way to talk about Marshall’s growth away from the field.

Whittingham acknowledged that the first few months were rocky, but said Marshall has matured, learned to control his emotions and become a much better teammate.

“If he can stay on the track he’s on right now, he’s got a really bright future,” Whittingham said.

Michigan does not need every one of these players to become a star.

It needs a few veterans to anchor the group, a few young players to break out and enough depth to keep everyone fresh late in games.

Right now, the Wolverines appear to have all three.