The Michigan football team is 3-0 to begin the 2023 season with wins against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green. The Wolverines had a couple of struggles last weekend against Bowling Green, but it's been smooth sailing otherwise so far for Michigan. This weekend, the Wolverines begin the Big Ten schedule with a home game against 3-0 Rutgers football. Head coach Jim Harbaugh will be back on the sidelines, and he will get his first in-person look at his team in game action this season. One player that has impressed a lot so far that Harbaugh is likely thrilled about is defensive end Jaylen Harrell.

“Well, Jaylen has been an absolute freak,” Michigan football team captain Kris Jenkins said, according to an article from Blue By Ninety. “We all know this. The dude’s a heck of an athlete, a heck of a player.”

Jaylen Harrell has been outstanding so far for the Wolverines. In Michigan football's first three games, he has racked up nine total tackles, and he has been a force in the backfield with 2.5 sacks already. He also hasn't played a full game yet as the backups have been in for mop up duty in all three games for the Wolverines thus far.

“It feels good, just bringing the energy,” Harrell explained. “Especially the second one (turnover against Bowling Green), making the play, strip sack. It just gives you more energy, more juice, more confidence, and just gets it going because we were a little flat, especially, and Coach Minter, he challenged us at halftime, he said, ‘We talked about all week how we want to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hand and create turnovers. How about we go do it.’ So that kind of lit a fire in me a little bit.”

Harrell looked exceptional in that Bowling Green game, and his team will need performances like that to continue. Rutgers isn't the best team in the Big Ten by any means, but they will certainly be the Wolverines' biggest test to this point.