Yesterday, long-time standout linebacker and current captain Mike Barrett spoke with the media during the final stages of fall camp in Ann Arbor. There, the Wolverine star confidently stated that this year’s Michigan football defensive line, led by Kris Jenkins and others, is the best in the entire nation.
Michigan football defensive line is the “best in the country”
Despite a lot of turnover since last season, the Michigan football defensive line has been praised time and time again leading up to the Wolverines’ season opener against East Carolina in eight days. Yesterday, linebacker Mike Barrett — a 2023 team captain — added to the hype, stating that the D-line is the best in the country.
“Those guys are working,” Michigan football captain and veteran linebacker Mike Barrett said on Thursday. “Honestly, in my eyes, we’ve got the best D-line in the country. They’re working to get better every day, and it makes my job a hell of a lot easier when I can just sit there and read my keys, plugging gaps. Yeah, they’re working.”
Mike Barrett has high praise for fellow captain Kris Jenkins
The 2023 Michigan football defensive line is led by senior captain Kris Jenkins, a defensive tackle who has been called a “freak,” a “mutant,” and more throughout the offseason. With Jenkins paving the way, what stands out to Mike Barrett the most?
“Just with the way he plays,” Mike Barrett said of Kris Jenkins. “The flip of a switch whenever we hit the field, his athletic ability, the way he goes and handles his business on and off the field — the word speaks for itself. He’s just a freak athlete, he could do so much to be that big. It’s scary, it’s a scary sight.”
This year, Michigan football will once again ask its defensive line to step up in hopes of finally breaking through the team’s glass ceiling, perhaps even claiming a national title by season’s end.
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