Michigan Football: 2010s All-Decade team for the Wolverines

S: Tyree Kinnel, Jordan Kovacs

Kinnel’s stats (2015-18): 154 tackles, 9 TFL, sack, 2 INT

A four-star prospect out of Wayne High School (Huber Heights, OH) in the 2015 class, Kinnel appeared in eight games as a freshman.

He played in every game for the 2016 team and started all 26 games over his final two seasons. Leading the team with nine tackles vs. Cincinnati on September 9, 2017, Kinnel took home Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Although the defense as a whole struggled, Kinnel played well in the 2018 loss to Ohio State, finishing with eight tackles.

A hard hitter that made receivers think twice about coming across the middle, he received All-Big Ten honorable mention in both 2017 and 2018.

Kovacs’ stats (2009-12): 334 tackles, 26 TFL, 7 sacks, 5 INT

Jordan Kovacs represents everything that is right about college football.

In a span of four years, he went from walk-on to team captain.

Making eight starts for the 2009 Wolverines, Kovacs finished second on the team with 75 tackles. Over his final three seasons, the Curtice, OH product started all 38 games he played in.

Possessing an instinctual ability to help against the run, opposing quarterbacks had to careful throwing in his direction, too. He recorded at least one interception in every season.

On two separate occasions, Kovacs tallied 17 tackles in a game, including once at Ohio State.

He was named to the All-Big Ten second-team by the coaches as a senior.

Honorable mentions: Delano Hill (2013-16), Dymonte Thomas (2013-16)