ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh used to always say that players made their biggest jump from either Week 1 to Week 2 or from their first year to their second year. You often see that when, all of a sudden, players that were unfamiliar to the casual fan suddenly become household names as they work their way into the rotation.
The Wolverines brought in several defensive linemen in the 2024 recruiting cycle and only one emerged in his first year -- edge rusher Dom Nichols. But there were others who were highly thought of -- such as defensive tackles Deyvid Palepale and Manuel Beigel as well as edge rushers Devon Baxter and Lugard Edokpayi.