Michigan Football's Breakout Star has Emerged as Wolverines' Best Pass Rusher

The Wolverines appear to have a great tandem with John Henry Daley and the new breakout star.

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As Michigan gears up for game week, the Wolverines are still trying to sort out a few position battles along both sides of the line. The Wolverines want to put their best five offensive linemen on the field, and Michigan wants to find its best pass rusher to play alongside John Henry Daley at edge.

Heading into fall camp, most people believed it was Cameron Brandt's job for the taking, but right tackle Andrew Sprague made an assessment two weeks ago that Dom Nichols was the Wolverines' best pass rusher.

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And on Thursday, during player availability, guard Evan Link said the same thing. When asked which defensive lineman gave the offensive linemen the biggest challenge, the first player who came to Link's mind was Nichols.

"Probably say Dom Nichols," Link said. "Yeah, Dom's a tremendous pass rusher. A lot of moves; he can do anything he wants. He's really, really good and taking a lot of steps forward."

Nichols has been a breakout star

A season ago, Nichols had 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. He was fourth on the team in TFLs, but he didn't consistently get to the quarterback — which not many did besides Derrick Moore.

John Henry Daley is a proven edge rusher, being an All-American last season. and finishing seventh in the country with 11.5 sacks. But the Wolverines would love to see someone else emerge alongside Daley, and there are certainly players who could do so.

Brandt, Nate Marshall, Carter Meadows, Tariq Boney, and Lugard Edokpayi have all been mentioned. However, it's Nichols' name that keeps emerging.

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"On the other side of the ball, Dom Nichols," Nate Efobi said as to who the breakout star is. "People haven't heard a lot about him, but he's a feisty guy, and he's ready to show y'all this year for sure."

Even if it's Nichols who starts this season, fans can expect several edge rushers to get an opportunity. Jay Hill will rotate to keep his players fresh, and while Brandt would love to hear his name called as a starter, it's hard to argue that Nichols has emerged in fall camp.

"Honestly, I'd probably say that as well," Brandt said. "I feel like it's probably just his mindset and just how he attacks it. He's very fluid, very athletic, and just feels like he knows what he's doing out there. So yeah, when it comes to pass rusher, it definitely comes natural."

Fans can see Michigan's defense in action on Sept. 5 against Western Michigan.

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