Michigan senior defensive tackle Trey Pierce is preparing for his final year of eligibility. He’s been with the Wolverines since 2023 and finally had a chance to start in 2025. He finished the season with 30 tackles, including one tackle for loss.
With a new coaching staff in town, he’s looking to end his college career on a high note. Pierce joined Jon Jansen on the “In the Trenches” podcast this week to talk about the offseason changes, his selection as team captain for the spring, and what he’s looking forward
to this fall.
On being back practicing
“It’s been nice getting to know the new staff,” Pierce told Jansen. He’s excited to be back playing football and that there’s a lot of hope from the players and the coaches.
On having such a big change on the roster
With the transfer portal and coaching changes in Ann Arbor over the past few years, Pierce told Jansen the changes this season aren’t all that different from other changes he has experienced during his career. He gave a positive outlook on the situation, saying he has an opportunity to meet new people, and reset and refocus.
On the new coaching staff
Pierce said it’s been good to see the changes with the new staff, even if there have been some growing pains. He thinks the new coaches have been making necessary changes and that he’s supportive of the new philosophy. When it comes to Kyle Whittingham, he’s focused on family and football. Pierce says that’s how he carries himself at practice and he’s “all ball.” When it comes to his position coach, Larry Black, he says he’s fired up and ready to go every day.
On the DT position
New defensive coordinator Jay Hill is going to make some changes to the defense, that’s no surprise. Pierce said the coaching staff has focused on giving the players pieces of the system bit by bit to help them get familiar with it. He said that at the end of the day, he’s playing defensive tackle and it’s not all that complicated.
On what he learned last year
Week in and week out you’ve got to bring your best every week when you’re a starter. There’s no down time playing in the Big Ten and when you move into that starting role, the pressure is on every single week.
On what he’s working on this year
Pierce is focused on improving his pass rush. He felt that he learned a lot last season, but he wants to get better when it comes to getting after the quarterback. Pierce is confident in his abilities, but he is working to get that to translate onto the field. He also said that when you’re playing on the inside of the line, the game speeds up, but you still have to bring your same skills know matter where you line up.
On playing with DT Enow Etta
Pierce has been playing alongside fellow defensive tackle Enow Etta for a few years now, and Pierce said the two of them don’t always need to talk about what they’re going to do, they just have a sense of what the other one wants and that they can feed off one another as the game goes on. He says it’s a huge advantage to play next to someone you trust.
On his final year of eligibility and playing at the next level
“It’s bittersweet.”
Pierce said you come to the University of Michigan to play at the next level, but he’s also trying to enjoy the moment. While it’s great to know there’s an opportunity to see a dream realized after he’s finished playing in college, he knows there’s still time to focus on the last season ahead of him and not get too focused on the future.
On being a captain in the spring
Pierce said just because his teammates elected him as a captain, he’s still focused on being who he is. If he had to change a lot about who he is because more people are watching him, he doesn’t think he should have been elected captain in the first place.
On going up against the offensive line
When it comes to the offense, Pierce said you can feel the experience. Most of the guys on the line are coming back, and you can feel how comfortable they are with each other. He called out center Jake Guarnera and said he’s a great player at the position. On the defensive line, they’re focused on bringing their best every day to make sure that the offense gets better, too.
