Jonah Lea'ea provides insight on Kyle Whittingham, Michigan defensive system, training goals, more

Michigan Wolverines football senior defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea transferred in from Utah, joining head coach Kyle Whittingham and several of his former assistant coaches and teammates to compete on a bigger stage.

“It was an opportunity to play in the Big Ten, and it was just too good to pass up with a coaching staff that I already knew,” Lea’ea said. “And, if you look at the past defensive lines at Michigan, I can’t remember a draft where Michigan didn’t have a D-lineman drafted.

“There is some motivation just to meet that standard, because that’s a big reason why I chose to come here, because we had two first-round picks [last] draft. Michigan is known for D-line, so I think that does provide a lot of motivation for us.

“The last three national championships have come from the Big Ten, and I just thought it would be the best platform for me.”

Lea’ea was a part of a strong culture at Utah, and now has a front-row view of Whittingham establishing the same thing at Michigan.

“It’s pretty cool,” Lea’ea said. “It’s something, obviously, I’ve been a little used to, but to see him introduce it to a whole new team like this, I think it’s going well, and it’s cool to see.

“A positive response [from the players]. Something that Coach Whitt is emphasizing is accountability, and that’s something the past players asked for. It’s showing up, and I think everyone is handling it pretty well.”

At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Lea’ea led Utah in interior defensive line snaps last season, totaling 34 tackles, including 2.5 for loss with 1 sack, and leading his position group with 17 pressures.

“I bring a lot of speed inside, which is something that you don’t see too often, and I think I’m able to use my athletic ability to make plays,” the new Michigan lineman said.

Lea’ea is a bit undersized and working to up his weight heading into his first season in the Big 10.

“I’m still on my way up,” the San Mateo, Calif., native noted. “Last year, I played a little light. I’m still trying to gain more weight, just so I can hold up better in the run.”

New position coach Larry Black, who was hired this offseason from Vanderbilt, is helping him get there.

“He’s brought a lot of intensity,” Lea’ea said. “That’s something that I enjoy. I think he’s been targeting a lot of the deficiencies that I had last year, which is really helpful, so he’s a good coach.”

From a positional standpoint, Lea’ea shared some insight on the objectives for Michigan defensive tackles in this system under coordinator Jay Hill, who ran the BYU defense each of the last three years.

“It’s just about holding your gap and doing your job,” Lea’ea said. “The emphasis for the whole defense is just to do your job. But, for us specifically, it’s can you hold your gap and get extension on linemen.”