Tag: Alessandro Lorenzetti

2024 Spring Football Preview: Defensive Line

2023 Starters: OLB Jaylen Harrell, DT Mason Graham, DT Kris Jenkins, DE Braiden McGregor
Losses: Reece Atteberry (transfer), Cam Goode (NFL), Harrell (NFL), McGregor (NFL)
Returning players: Josaiah Stewart (Sr.), Kechaun Bennett (RS Jr.), Rayshaun Benny (RS Jr.), T.J. Guy (RS Jr.), Ike Iwunnah (RS Jr.), Tyler McLaurin (RS Jr.), Graham (Jr.), Grant (Jr.), Derrick Moore (Jr.), Alessandro Lorenzetti (RS So.), Breeon Ishmail (So.), Cameron Brandt (So.), Roderick Pierce (So.), Brooks Bahr (RS Fr.), Enow Etta (RS Fr.), Aymeric Koumba (RS Fr.)
Newcomer: DE Dominic Nichols (Fr.)
Projected starters: OLB Stewart, DT Graham, DT Grant, DE Moore

Michigan had an excellent defensive line in 2023, and it might have been the best position group on the national championship squad. The biggest differential in the national championship game against Washington was Michigan’s defensive line against the offensive line of the Huskies. Washington had a couple potential high draft picks in that group, and the Wolverines tossed them around like rag dolls.

Whereas Michigan had dynamic edge rushers in 2021 with David Ojabo and Aidan Hutchinson, the interior of the defensive line has been the strength the past two years. That should be the case once again in 2024, though I’m expecting a little more pass rush from the edge guys this season. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are entrenched as the starters at defensive tackle, and they should be the #1 defensive tackle combo in the nation. Grant is 6’3″ and 340 pounds but is fast enough to chase down Penn State running backs from behind. Graham is 6’4″, 310 and plays with both explosion and technique.

Michigan needs someone to emerge from the backup ranks, as starter Kris Jenkins, Jr. and frequently used backup Cam Goode have both moved on. Rayshaun Benny broke his foot late in the season, too, and will probably not be full strength until the fall. This spring look for Roderick Pierce to get some heavy rotation after playing a decent amount as the fourth nose tackle a year ago. Ike Iwunnah is a fourth-year player who has yet to see the field, so it’s tough to see him breaking out at this point, and Alessandro Lorenzetti is another player with decent size (6’5″, 301) who has yet to see the field. Michigan will either have to play one of those inexperienced older guys or give a shot to some young guys who really needed to bulk up from “strongside defensive end” vibes to playing tackle, such as Cameron Brandt or Brooks Bahr.

On the edges, Josaiah Stewart – who spent his first two seasons at Coastal Carolina – and Derrick Moore seem like very good bets to start. Stewart should step in capably for Harrell, and Moore should slide in smoothly for McGregor. They both rotated heavily last year and received a ton of playing time, and Stewart in particular showed a lot of growth throughout the year as he adjusted to playing in the Big Ten.

Once again, the big questions come from the backup ranks. Who will step up to rotate into the game frequently? And will anyone turn into an elite pass rusher? T.J. Guy is a fourth-year player with a good bit of experience, and he could be a solid backup option. He’s probably not a game-changer at this point, so the guys fans really want to see are the likes of Breeon Ishmail and Enow Etta. Both had excellent potential coming out of high school, and Etta was a highly valued recruit who was absolutely dominant in high school (20+ sacks in each of his final two seasons) but played against inferior competition.

Aymeric Koumba is a second-year Frenchman, and Dominic Nichols is an early enrollee freshman. Both have potential but it seems a little early for them to make much of an impact.

2023 Season Countdown: #110 Alessandro Lorenzetti

Name: Alessandro Lorenzetti
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 289 lbs.
High school: Windsor (CT) Loomis Chaffee
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #89
Last year: I ranked Lorenzetti #91 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 85

Lorenzetti came in last year as an offensive lineman, and according to MGoBlue.com, he was named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week during the week leading up to the Michigan State game. Offensive linemen usually redshirt, though, and Lorenzetti was no exception.

Fast forward to the spring of 2023, and Lorenzetti is now playing defensive tackle. He has switched jersey numbers to #89 and is presumably pretty low on the depth chart since Michigan has a pretty solid two-deep. Michigan does a pretty good job of finding out where players will work out best (see: Mike Sainristil and Chase Winovich), but it seems like linemen who get lost between sides of the ball often don’t work out (see: Jack Stewart and Tom Strobel). There’s still plenty of time for Lorenzetti to emerge, and Dominic Giudice is another lineman who still has a chance to develop after bouncing around a bit. But in his first year of playing defensive line, I doubt we’ll see much of Lorenzetti on Saturday afternoons.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2022 Season Countdown: #91 Alessandro Lorenzetti

Name: Alessandro Lorenzetti
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 285 lbs.
High school: Windsor (CT) Loomis Chaffee
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Lorenzetti was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 85

Lorenzetti is a native Canadian who transferred to Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut to boost his football and recruiting opportunities. Baylor, Georgia, and Penn State all offered. Michigan State was rumored to be the leader until Michigan stepped in with an offer, and a little publicized visit turned into a commitment. When I turned on his film, I was expecting the Canadian to be a huge project. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find out he has outstanding footwork and finishes his blocks really well.

Like almost every lineman entering college, Lorenzetti needs to continue getting stronger. He’s still pretty light at 285 lbs. His technique is solid, but for size/strength reasons, I think Lorenzetti is practically a shoo-in for a redshirt.

Prediction: Redshirt

How Does the 2022 Class Match Up with Michigan’s All-Time Recruits?

Thanks to Ashley, Eric, Joe, and Stephen for the recent Paypal donations.

As much as we like to get excited about every single Michigan recruit, it’s important to keep perspective and realize that not every one of these players will be destined for stardom. This exercise can give us a range of what to expect from some of these players, even though star rankings can be very wrong.

Will Johnson – CB – Grosse Pointe (MI) South
2022 ranking: #14
Historical ranking: tied for #9 all-time at Michigan
Tied with: S Daxton Hill (2019) and DE LaMarr Woodley (2003)
Closest positional comparisons: Jabrill Peppers (#3 in 2014) and Donovan Warren (#27 in 2007)

Derrick Moore – DE – Baltimore (MD) St. Francis
2022 ranking: #49
Historical ranking: tied for #37 all-time at Michigan
Tied with: OG Kyle Kalis (2012) and RB Ty Isaac (2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Pierre Woods (#43 in 2001) and Luiji Vilain (#56 in 2017)

Keon Sabb – S – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
2022 ranking: #84
Historical ranking: #64 all-time at Michigan
Flanked by: OT Cory Zirbel (#83 in 2005) and #87 Kyle Bosch (2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Michael Williams (#72 in 2007) and Demar Dorsey (#87 in 2010)

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Recruiting Awards

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You can take a look back at the awards for the 2019 class if you want (LINK).

Best Overall Recruit: CB Will Johnson
Johnson is a 5-star talent with size, physicality, good athleticism, and a solid bloodline. Any criticism of him is generally nit-picking, and he was supposedly the best cornerback at the Under Armour All-American Game.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.