Michigan’s depth along the defensive line was looking pretty thin at the end of last season, and it became apparent who wouldn’t be coming back for 2026. As such, Kyle Whittingham and the new coaching staff dipped into the transfer portal to supplement the group, grabbing senior Jonah Lea’ea, who will likely be playing a pretty important role up front this year.
It wasn’t the busiest recruiting cycle for Lea’ea, as he was a rather low-rated recruit coming out of Bishop Gorman in 2023. He was rated as just the No. 1,245 overall player in his class and the No. 10 player from the state of Nevada that year. The offer list wasn’t extensive, but Lea’ea made his pledge to play for Utah under Whittingham and new Michigan defensive ends coach Lewis Powell, selecting them over Arizona, Cal, Boise State and Washington, among others.
Lea’ea came into college pretty undersized for his position, listed at just 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. Because of that, his first two seasons were rather quiet. As a freshman in 2023, he only appeared in two games and made two tackles. He appeared in six games as a sophomore in 2024, making two more tackles.
In 2025, Lea’ea played a bigger role in a breakout season for the Utes. After bulking up to 285 pounds, he earned a spot in the starting lineup, starting all 13 games last year. He made 38 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. Despite being listed as a defensive tackle, though, he saw some time on the edge rushing the passer as well, a role that might fit his size a bit better.
Following the season, Lea’ea entered the portal and, much like when he was a high school recruit, didn’t have that high of a ranking, being listed as the No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 262 overall player by 247Sports. That didn’t stop Whittingham from betting on him once again, as Lea’ea committed to Michigan in January.
Michigan lost three defensive tackles this offseason in Rayshaun Benny, Damon Payne and Tre Williams. That left Trey Pierce and Enow Etta as the two likely starters heading into 2026. And while big things are expected from Pierce and Etta, they won’t be able to carry the load themselves. That’s where Lea’ea comes in, likely serving as the third man in the rotation.
However, Lea’ea’s role won’t be limited to defensive tackle, as he could likely see some snaps on the edge as well, given his size and experience working with Powell. It remains to be seen just how much time he’ll see on the edge, though, given Michigan’s thin defensive tackle depth chart.
Furthermore, Lea’ea could serve as a pretty big boost from a leadership standpoint to Michigan’s defensive front. As a senior with some starting experience on his resume, he could be a good asset to the younger players on the defensive line like Travis Moten, Chibi Anwunnah, Titan Davis and Alister Vallejo, who are all expected to play bigger roles in years to come.