DL Trey Pierce’s path to Michigan Football, outlook for 2026
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Very few national champions remain on Michigan heading into 2026. Of the limited players who were on that 2023 team under Jim Harbaugh, even less actually saw significant playing time. Defensive lineman Trey Pierce is an anomaly and is primed to be a leader and one of the best players on a strong defensive front for the maize and blue this fall.
The story so far
Pierce was a three-star ranked No. 550 nationally according to the 247Sports composite, but that didn’t stop him from making an impression early under Harbaugh.
On a team loaded with interior defensive talent, Pierce cracked the rotation as a true freshman and was an impact player on special teams, appearing in all 13 games and seven on the defensive line on the Wolverines’ path to the national championship.
The experience and leadership above him set the stage for what could continue to be a great career in Ann Arbor. That’s because he’s played in 26 straight games on the defensive line over the last two years, including becoming a starter in 2025. Last year, he was named the team’s co-Most Improved Player on the defensive side of the ball and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention after recording 30 tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Outlook for 2026
It feels like Pierce is set for a breakout season in 2026. Between he and Enow Etta, it’s finally their time to shine. Rayshaun Benny got much of the attention last year, and it was Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins before that. But for the years of development Pierce has put in, there’s a chance that Michigan has one of the best interior defensive lines in all of college football this year. At the very least, the coaching staff believes that.
“I believe we have two of the best defensive tackles in college football right now in Enow Etta and Trey Pierce,” defensive coordinator Jay Hill said on the In the Trenches podcast in February. “Those guys can play. I think they’ve been very well-coached.”
It’s not just an impact on the field for Pierce, but he’s also a team captain and a tone-setter in the locker room. The biggest difference is “the little things,” Pierce said this spring. “Guys being late for lifts, not being where they’re supposed to be, that’s being enforced more… We’re waking up earlier, going through that grind together. It puts you in a headspace like we’ve done harder things than this.”
Pierce is one of the most consequential players on the team in ensuring it leads to results on the field this fall.
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