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For the casual college football fan, Chase Winovich would probably be considered a breakout star. Heck, the Michigan defensive lineman has been somewhat of a surprise even to those of us covering the sport.
Most of the preseason was spent lauding over defensive end Rashan Gary and tackle Maurice Hurst, and for good reason. Gary was the former five-star prospect that worked his way into the rotation for one of the best defenses in the nation. Hurst finished last year’s campaign with 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. It’s hard to argue they didn’t deserve the attention.
Both earned recognition as preseason All-Americans, either as first-team or second-team selections from multiple media outlets, and were virtually unanimous first-team B1G selections, too. They were the anchors to Michigan’s sturdy defensive front.
Aside from a hollow third-team All-B1G selection from Athlon Sports, Winovich was absent from all of those lists.
Two weeks ago, Winovich rubbed everyone’s nose in it. He recorded eight stops against Purdue, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in the Wolverines’ 28-10 win in West Lafayette. The senior defensive end was named the conference’s co-Defensive Player of the Week after embarrassing the Boilermakers’ offensive line.
Where did that come from?
It’s not really all that new for Winovich — albeit the outing against Purdue was the best of his career. He tallied nine stops for loss, 5.5 sacks and added four quarterback hurries for Michigan last season, marks that went largely unnoticed. With Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis and Taco Charlton drenched in the national spotlight, Winovich’s name was overlooked.
But now, the defensive end is impossible to ignore.
After four games, Winovich leads the B1G in sacks (5.5) and ranks third in tackles for loss (7.5). He’s the third-leading tackler for the Wolverines (24) and has two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. To put it simply, Winovich has done it all on the field this season.
Those are some outstanding numbers, especially considering Gary and Hurst — the two linemen who earned plenty of preseason All-American and All-B1G admiration — have combined for just 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Maybe his colleagues along the defensive line are still the conversation pieces, but Winovich has been the most productive member of the group.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown isn’t surprised by it.
“He was a big part of our rotation last year,” Brown said in a video from Detroit Free Press. “He was a big part of our third down sets last year, so he is a complete player. Everyone knows it. He just happened to be playing next to and sharing time with a first-round draft pick (Charlton).”
Winovich’s contributions can be measured by more than numbers. He’s playing a more physical brand of football and looks much quicker than he did a season ago. Off the line, the defensive end is like a long-haired, heat-seeking missile.
Against Florida, Winovich rushed through an inside gap on the offensive line and was able to get to quarterback Malik Zaire untouched, forcing a sack-fumble that sealed the win for Michigan.
He did more of the same in West Lafayette. Winovich may have finished with 2.5 sacks, but he easily impacted at least a half dozen of Purdue’s drop-backs. He regularly beat the Boilermaker offensive linemen off the edge and consistently got pressure on David Blough and Elijah Sindelar.
Oh, and he never left the field during the contest. He played all 50 defensive snaps for the Wolverines in 90-degree heat and never seemed to wear down.
Not bad for a preseason third-team All-B1G selection.
Obviously some of Winovich’s success has come from Gary and Hurst drawing more attention and plenty of double-teams from offensive lines. That certainly opens things up. But the senior has taken full advantage of those opportunities.
Winovich has been somewhat of an X-factor for Michigan in the early portion of the season. He only really fits that description because we didn’t give him the proper attention last fall. Now, he’s proving to everyone that he’s more than just a role player.
Gary and Hurst are talented linemen and should be given their due credit, but Winovich belongs in that same conversation. He made the case a year ago and we ignored it.
He’s made an even louder statement this season, and it’s finally getting some attention.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB