'They dominate people' – Oregon running back Jordan James discusses the matchup with Michigan's defensive front
The Oregon Ducks will travel to Ann Arbor to play Michigan in The Big House for the first time since 2007. Now a part of the Big Ten Conference, Oregon's visit to Michigan continues their introduction to football fans across the country.Michigan might not be having the season that they wanted to, but they still […]
The Oregon Ducks will travel to Ann Arbor to play Michigan in The Big House for the first time since 2007. Now a part of the Big Ten Conference, Oregon's visit to Michigan continues their introduction to football fans across the country.
Michigan might not be having the season that they wanted to, but they still have plenty of talent, namely on the defensive front. With a pair of defensive tackles that could, and should, both go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they're a problem for any offense.
Ducks running back Jordan James is clearly familiar with the duo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.
"They dominate people. I think those are two first round picks that they have up front, so there's gonna be a challenge for us for sure," James said.
James isn't the only one respecting these players. Earlier in the week, head coach Dan Lanning had plenty to say about the pair of defensive tackles.
"When you watch them, they're game-wreckers," Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said of Graham and his running mate Grant. "They're guys that you have to have a game plan for. But 78 [Grant], 55 [Graham] both, they make an impact, you know, consistently in the game. They beat single blocks, they're certainly good against double teams, they're good against the run and the pass. So they're guys that you have to spend time and effort for. And, you know, anytime you have guys like that up front, it makes it easier to cover in the back end."
Neutralizing the defensive front of Michigan is arguably the biggest key to the game for Oregon. The Wolverines have been beatable in the secondary, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel will need time to be able to push the ball down the field. As has been the case all season, Oregon will want to see James and the ascending Noah Whittington make an impact on the ground and help keep the Ducks offense on schedule.
Oregon can't let Graham and Grant dictate the flow up front. As Lanning often says, it comes down to winning the line of scrimmage.
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