‘Good luck’ blocking Tré Williams and the Michigan defensive line in 2025
There’s an old saying in Michigan football that practices are harder than the games. Talk to any current or former player, and they’ll agree with the sentiment — especially those who play or played on either line.
Michigan brings in some of the most talented players in the nation, so what plays out on State Street during the week and the offseason is more challenging than what they face on game days, the theory goes.
Sophomore right tackle Andrew Sprague experienced that in the final game of last season, when he made his first start in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama. He came over to the sideline in between series and told position coach Grant Newsome that playing against the Crimson Tide — a team that believed they should’ve been in the 12-team College Football Playoff — was easier than practice.
Junior offensive lineman Nathan Efobi, a projected starter at right guard, agrees.
“I think practice is way harder than games, especially at Michigan,” Efobi said. “When I first got here, I’m going against [former standouts] Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — the best D-tackles in the country. There’s no better than those two.
“Going into games, it’s a really relaxing feeling. You’re not going against better than Michigan players.”
Michigan’s defensive tackle group has six players that will sub in “in waves,” according to position coach Lou Esposito. Those waves haven’t been easy to go up against in practice this spring.
“All I’m gonna say is ‘good luck,’” Efobi said when asked how opposing offenses will fare. “The Michigan defense is one of the best defenses in the country. You see the depth — we got the players to do numbers. We got the players to destroy any offense in the country.”
The 6-foot-3, 307-pound Efobi was asked if it’s frustrating at all to see that every day.
“Frustrating? A little, but you gotta understand that you need this,” the Michigan lineman said. “I take it like I need it. I need to go against the best, and for me to be the best, I have to go against the best every day.”
Efobi pinpointed some of the defensive tackles that have caught his eye this spring.
[Clemson graduate transfer] Tré Williams, [junior] Trey Pierce,” he said. “They’ve grown a lot, and Tré Williams being a transfer from Clemson, he’s a dawg, animal.
“Trey Pierce, I’ve been with him; he’s in my class, and I hang with him every day. He’s improved a lot, and I think he should be a starter. He’s a dawg.”
Williams has received plenty of buzz during Michigan’s spring practices. The 6-foot-2, 315-pounder is entering his sixth season of college football. A massive individual, Williams is strong and experienced. He’s appeared in 44 games with four starts and has racked up 35 tackles, including 10 for loss, with 4 sacks and 2 pass breakups.
“Just the way he plays — he just gets vertical,” Efobi said of what stands out about Williams’ game. “He goes from point A to point B — no distractions, no hesitation, no crazy moves. He just goes vertical to get to the quarterback.”
Michigan sophomore EDGE Dominic Nichols was recently asked about Williams and Alabama defensive tackle graduate transfer Damon Payne. He discussed both, but the way he answered the question pointed to Williams standing out even more.
“A lot, especially Tré,” Nichols said of what he’s seen from the two transfers. “Tre’s an older guy, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s been around the block.
“But they’re both just some dawgs in there, and they’re physical as hell. That’s what’s important on the interior.”
Nichols is confident in Michigan’s depth in the middle of the D-line.
“Last year, we had the two best D-tackles in the country, but we were still a little light inside,” he noted. “This year, you see numbers — lot of dudes who are gonna be ready to play by the time fall camp comes. It’s just good to see.”
Opposing offensive lines may need that luck after all.
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