Michigan football roster: Weight changes, jersey swaps, more

Published Aug. 02, 2023, 8:47 p.m.
By Aaron McMann |
We heard about Kris Jenkins’ massive weight gains in the offseason, and now it’s official.
Michigan’s 6-foot-3 defensive tackle added 20 points in recent months, pushing him to a listed 305 pounds on the team’s 2023 roster.
The roster, released Wednesday night by Michigan, coincided with the start of camp for the Wolverines, who held their first practice in Ann Arbor earlier in the day.
Jenkins, a senior from Maryland, is projected to start up front for the Wolverines this fall after emerging at tackle in 2022, when he started all 14 games and lead all defensive linemen in tackles (54).
In fact, his name has already popped up on preseason watch lists and early NFL mock drafts.
In a bit of a twist, Jenkins didn’t claim the largest weight gain during the offseason. That title belongs to sophomore offensive lineman Connor Jones, who went from 298 pounds in the spring to 320 pounds for camp. That’s an incredible 22-pound gain.
Freshman running back Cole Cabana, from nearby Dexter, is already off and running in the weight room — jumping from a slim 180 pounds to 198, an 18-pound difference in just a few months.
Up front, five offensive linemen saw substantial gains between spring and summer — Dominick Giudice (305), Andrew Gentry (327) and Trevor Keegan (320) all gained 15 pounds, Trente Jones jumped 14 pounds to 325, and Jeffrey Persi added 11 pounds to weigh in at 320.
Only three players on the Michigan roster experienced sizable weight losses, a group led by edge rusher Derrick Moore, who lost a team-high 21 pounds to weigh in at 258. Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, already one of heaviest players on the team, dropped 17 pounds to 339.
Jersey changes: Several players have changed their jersey number following spring: Freshman wideout Fredrick Moore (No. 3), sophomore quarterback Jayden Denegal (No. 4), receiver Tyler Morris (No. 8), and junior safety Rod Moore (No. 9).
Other notes: Junior linebacker Junior Colson, who revealed earlier this summer that he played through an ankle injury much of last season, grew an inch and added 12 pounds this summer. He’s now listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 247 pounds.
… Running backs Blake Corum (213 pounds) and Donovan Edwards (210) both saw small weight gains in the offseason.
… Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is officially over the 200-pound mark, adding six pounds this offseason to check in at 202.