Kenneth Grant would be a massive commitment for Michigan Football

One of Michigan football’s top targets at defensive tackle in 2022 is Kenneth Grant and here’s why his commitment would be huge for the Wolverines. 

Over the past few recruiting cycles, Michigan football fans have bemoaned about Michigan’s defensive tackle recruiting, and for good reason.

Michigan’s interior play had fallen off from seasons past when Ryan Glasgow, Willie Henry, and Maurice Hurst, just to name a few, manned the middle. It did not help that Don Brown’s strategy was to recruit development defensive ends and mold them into athletic defensive tackles.

While I like that strategy to some degree, there has to be a balance. Michigan football needs beef in the middle, especially in a conference like the Big Ten.

A big portion of Michigan’s struggles in a few notable big games the last few started with its inability to stop the run. In three games against Michigan, Jonathan Taylor ran for 436 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7.4 YPC.  In three games against Michigan, J.K. Dobbins ran for 358 yards and 5 touchdowns on 6.1 YPC. Michigan went 1-5 against Wisconsin and Ohio State from 2017-2019.

New defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald has prioritized bigger defensive linemen that don’t need to put on much weight when they get to college. Defensive tackles don’t get much bigger than Kenneth Grant, who already stands at 6-foot-4 335 lbs. Grant has emerged as one of Michigan’s top targets and he would be a massive commitment, both literally and figuratively.

Grant would fit Michigan’s defense perfectly

With Michigan’s switch to a 3-4, having a nose tackle that can command double teams and eat up blocks is crucial to the scheme’s success. Michigan could use bodies at nose tackle and Grant has the size to contribute at nose tackle as a true freshman, even if it’s just 15-20 snaps per game.

While Grant’s measurables may be the first thing that you notice about him, it’s his athleticism that makes him a special prospect.

Guys that weigh 335 lbs are not supposed to run a 5.1 in the forty. Grant’s athleticism could allow him to develop into being more than just a run stuffer. He would also allow Michigan to be flexible should it land four-star Deone Walker. Walker could be an offensive tackle or defensive lineman for the Wolverines.

Grant is also a key target for Michigan because of its competition in this race.

Grant has a top three of Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Ohio State likes Grant, but it has another lineman higher on its board like Caden Curry and Chris McClellan and it might not accept his commitment right now.

That is working to Michigan’s benefit as the Wolverines hold the pole position right now. Grant could be coming to a decision soon and that would appear to be bold well for the Wolverines.

Michigan can also sell early playing time easier than Ohio State can, which helped Michigan beat the Buckeyes for transfer wide receiver Daylen Baldwin.

Wisconsin is off Michigan’s regular season schedule after 2021, but it is still the best program in the Big Ten West. If Michigan is going to win that elusive Big Ten title, it will likely have to go through the Badgers to do it. Landing Grant would not only help Michigan, but also keep him away from Ohio State and Wisconsin.

While some Michigan fans will scoff at Grant because he is another three-star, his ranking should go up in my opinion. Even if it doesn’t, it does not change the high ceiling that he has. Additionally using the Baltimore Ravens as an example, nose tackles Brandon Williams and former Raven Michael Pierce had zero and two stars, respectively, next to their name out of high school.

Williams has been a Pro Bowler and Pierce was a key cog to the Ravens defense. Both of them had success in the scheme Mike MacDonald will bring to Ann Arbor and Grant is more highly touted out of high school than either of them.