HERE WE GO:Michigan standout DT accepts invite to postseason all-star game

Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) hangs onto the jersey of Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2), who escapes his grasp on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 24-17.(Jake May | MLive.com)

Michigan’s Kenneth Grant will don the Wolverines’ iconic winged helmet one more time after all.

The standout junior defensive tackle, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Dec. 26 and opted out of Michigan’s ReliaQuest Bowl game against Alabama, accepted an invite Tuesday to the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30. The annual postseason all-star game at AT&T Stadium in Texas is played in front of NFL scouts and executives, giving players an opportunity to showcase their ability ahead of the draft in late-April.

While fellow Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is widely projected as a top-10 pick, there are varying opinions on Grant, a two-time all-Big Ten selection. Some recent mock drafts have the 6-foot-3, 339-pounder going in the first round, while others don’t have him projected inside the top 32 picks.

After just three seasons, Grant leaves Michigan with the most pass breakups (12) by a defensive lineman in program history. The former three-star recruit out of Merrillville High in Indiana was a disruptive force in the middle of the Wolverines’ defense throughout his career, finishing with 69 tackles, including 11 ½ for loss and 6 ½ sacks. He also recovered three fumbles and had an interception in 2023.

In 2024, Grant started all 12 regular-season games, recording career-highs in snaps, tackles (32) and tackles for loss (6 ½) while falling a half-sack short of his 2023 total (3 ½).