ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan Wolverines defensive tackles coach Larry Black has spent the first three weeks of preseason camp seeing the same traits emerge from a defensive line he believes can become one of the best in the country.
Physicality. Depth. Technique.
And, perhaps most importantly, a growing belief in what the group can accomplish.
Black said the defensive tackles have attacked each practice and shown steady improvement as they adjust to new expectations under coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Jay Hill.
“It’s been a great first three weeks at camp,” Black said. “The guys have attacked every day and showed up to compete.”
Black, who joined Michigan’s staff this year after coaching at Vanderbilt, said the group is developing its ability to play with proper hand placement, pad level and leverage while resetting the line of scrimmage.
“It’s been a physical grind camp,” Black said. “It’s only the third week, so it’s only going to crank up from here.”
The experience at the top of the room has helped.
Black singled out Trey Pierce, Enow Etta and Jonah Lea’ea as players who have continued to make strides, with Pierce emerging as a more vocal leader while improving his technique in both the run game and pass rush.
Pierce, Black said, has made noticeable progress since Black arrived in February.
“He’s just been getting better and better every week,” Black said.
Black also praised Etta for his willingness to seek out corrections and immediately apply them.
“He’s always looking for what he needs to get better at,” Black said.
Lea’ea, a transfer from Utah, has drawn particular attention as he prepares for his first season in the Big Ten.
Black said Lea’ea has added significant weight since arriving in Ann Arbor and now weighs more than 285 pounds.
That added size, combined with Lea’ea’s quickness and physical playing style, could allow him to withstand the demands of playing inside against Big Ten offensive lines.
“If I’m playing with inside hands and pad level and a good base, nobody in the country should be able to block you,” Black said.
Black acknowledged that a defensive tackle can’t rely on technique alone without sufficient size.
“You can’t be freaking 250 and do that on the inside,” Black said.
But with Lea’ea now above 285 pounds, Black believes he has the physical tools to become a productive player.
“He’s going to have a chance to really play under guys and be tough to move in there,” Black said.
Kanaka making a push
One of the biggest developments for the group has been the emergence of sophomore defensive tackle Bobby Kanaka.
Black said Kanaka has added good weight, giving him more power against double teams and combination blocks.
But Black said Kanaka’s biggest gains have come from learning to play with his hands and maintain his pad level consistently.
For a young defensive tackle hoping to earn playing time, Black said the standard is straightforward.
“If you want to play right away, show you can come out and dominate a double team and a base block,” Black said.
Kanaka has done enough to put himself in position for a significant role.
“He’s been crushing it,” Black said.
Black also mentioned defensive tackle Deyvid Palepale as a player who could contribute, emphasizing the importance of having enough depth to keep the entire defensive line fresh.
“The more depth we have on our D-line, the more fresher we’re going to be,” Black said.
Competition with the offensive line
Michigan’s defensive and offensive lines have provided each other with daily competition, with Black pointing to center Jake Guarnera as a particularly important measuring stick.
“If you’re playing under him and you’re doing it at a really good level, you’re going to have really good reps, and you’re going to have a really good season,” Black said.
Black said the defensive tackles also regularly compete against Michigan’s interior offensive linemen, including players he identified as Nathan Efobi, Evan Link and Brady Norton.
The focus is on winning the battle for leverage and hand placement.
“It’s just a battle of who’s going to have inside hands at pad level,” Black said.
The coaches even chart those details during practice, tracking which side wins the leverage battle and how players respond to blocks.
“That’s how we get better,” Black said. “Just beating up on each other to see who’s going to come out on top.”
Strength starts in the weight room
Black credited strength coach Doug Elisaia for helping transform the physical profile of Michigan’s defensive front.
The biggest difference, Black said, has been in the players’ lower bodies.
“Those guys’ lower bodies are strong,” Black said. “Their quads, they’re able to be stout in the ground.”
For a defensive line coach, Black said, establishing a strong base is one of the first things he looks for.
The strength gains have also changed how Black views his players during position drills.
“When I do drills with the D-line guys, and I’m working a double-team drill with them, I’m like, ‘You guys are strong,’” Black said. “And now they need to realize that on a consistent basis just how powerful and strong they are.”
Goal: 85 rushing yards or fewer
The standard Black has set for the defensive front is ambitious.
Michigan wants to hold opponents to fewer than 85 rushing yards per game.
“We want to be the top,” Black said. “We want to set the tone and be really good up front.”
Black believes the key is not necessarily complicated.
If the defensive tackles consistently play with proper pad level, hand placement and leverage, he believes the results will follow.
“If you’re doing that on the inside, you’ve got a chance to be pretty special,” Black said.
The defensive front also will face a schedule that Black expects to test it repeatedly.
He said Michigan’s players should embrace the challenge rather than shy away from it.
“You should embrace it, and you should be excited for it because you get to put your talent on display against the best week in and week out,” Black said.
That preparation already includes studying future opponents, including Ohio State, even this early in camp.
A close connection with Powell
Black also emphasized the importance of his relationship with defensive ends coach Lewis Powell.
The two groups must work together because rushing the passer is ultimately a four-man operation.
“We’ve got to know how Dominic Nichols likes to rush, how John Henry Daley likes to rush,” Black said. “They need to know how Eno and Trey and Jonah, how those guys play on the inside.”
That communication extends to film study, walkthroughs and practice.
“When you rush the quarterback, it’s four guys rushing one,” Black said. “So we better be on the same page.”
Black said he has leaned on Powell’s experience and knowledge of the edge position while working to make sure the entire front operates as one unit.
Newcomers face steep learning curve
Freshmen defensive tackles Titan Davis and Alister Vallejo are also beginning the process of adjusting to college football.
Black said the transition is especially difficult for young defensive linemen because they immediately encounter double teams and must learn to use their hands and body positioning in ways that often were unnecessary in high school.
“In high school, guys get away with it because they’re more athletic and more talented and they never really have to strike people,” Black said.
At Michigan, technique becomes essential.
Black said both freshmen have continued to show up and improve despite also balancing academic responsibilities.
“I’ve been proud of those guys,” Black said.
Black settling into Michigan
Black said he has enjoyed working with the Michigan staff and has quickly embraced the expectations that come with coaching at one of college football’s most prominent programs.
He described Moore as demanding but said that is exactly what he wants from a head coach.
“He’s very demanding, but that’s what you want from your head coach,” Black said.
Black also praised the staff’s chemistry and his relationship with his brother, Jibreel Black, who calls him regularly to discuss practice, football and life.
Jibreel also has a connection to Michigan and has joked with his brother about experiencing the atmosphere at Michigan Stadium from the coaching side.
“He calls me every day,” Black said. “We discuss football, discuss life. So he’s our No. 1 fan, man. He wants to see us do really well.”
For Larry, the early returns from his defensive tackles have provided plenty of reason for optimism.
The group is bigger, stronger and deeper, and Black believes its ceiling will ultimately depend on how consistently it can execute the fundamentals.
The message remains the same: win with the hands, play with leverage, dominate the gap and stop the run.
“Now how do we become one of the best run defenses in the country?” Black said. “We’ve got to stop the run.”