Wisconsin Football: Top Five Big Ten Defensive Players
By Sam Land
#5 – Michigan DL Chase Winovich
Michigan edge rusher Chase Winovich was one of the Big Ten’s most improved players last season.
He set the tone for his monster season in 2017 during the Wolverines’ first game against Florida. He helped seal victory for Michigan by making a crucial strip sack in the Gators’ end zone in the final minutes.
Winovich never looked back after that performance. He recorded 79 total tackles, 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries on his way to earning First Team All-Big Ten honors.
Edge defenders like Winovich are all the rage in the NFL at the moment, and he nearly decided to enter the 2018 draft. Despite feedback from scouts saying that he could have gone as high as the second round, he elected to return to Ann Arbor for his final season of eligibility.
“Those who stay will be champions”
— Chase Winovich (@Wino) January 3, 2018
After much deliberation, I have decided to forego the NFL and come back to Michigan for one last season. It’s my absolute honor to represent this university for one more season after everything it has done for me. Time to work pic.twitter.com/l8pb1Z4Chq
Winovich’s decision is looking like a wise one, as he is in a position to have a monster final season on the Wolverines’ loaded defensive unit.
He would be the best defensive player on most other teams across the nation. Unfortunately for Michigan’s opponents, though, he will be lining up beside some other elite talents (more on that later), so offenses will not be able to focus on him as much as they probably would like to.
Look for Winovich to terrorize opposing backfields yet again this season and cement himself as an All-American and potential first-round draft pick.