Michigan Football freshman edge rusher Tariq Boney impresses vs UTEP

The college football world has officially been introduced to Tariq Boney. Michigan's freshman edge rusher had only one snap in the first two weeks of the season, but ended Week 3 against UTEP with four total tackles, including 1.5 TFLs and one sack.

Before his formal introduction to the college football world, Boney's name circulated around the media, as he was often mentioned by head coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Jay Hill for having a great fall camp.

On multiple occasions leading up to the first game, Whittingham and Hill praised Boney, as well as his freshman edge rushing counterpart Carter Meadows who has been dealing with injuries and made his first career appearance against UTEP.

On August 21, Whittingham said "Two freshman defensive ends, Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney, are having an outstanding camp, and they're gonna be involved."

Hill on August 26 said "Tariq Boney and Carter Meadows have done unbelievable things for freshmen," and emphasized a similar sentiment on September 2, saying "as a young freshman, has really done some great things."

In Boney's lone snap against the Sooners, he came off the right side and bulldozed past the offensive lineman. Boney's rush forced quarterback John Mateer to step up in the pocket to avoid the pressure and escape a sack.

UTEP quarterback EJ Colson Jr. didn't have the same luck against Boney.

Near the end of the third quarter, Boney lined up in the same spot he did in the play against Oklahoma. He bulldozed past the offensive lineman yet again, avoided the pick-up block from the running back and sacked Colson.

"His quickness, his explosion, he is a powerful guy," Whittingham said after Michigan took down UTEP 52-17. "He's built like a fire hydrant and strong as an ox in the weight room. Just his strength and explosion is as good as I've ever seen in a true freshman. … He's got a very developed body and relentless motor. His motor never shuts down. He's constantly in pursuit."

Boney proved his ability to produce constant pursuit, coming up with 1.5 TFLs in addition to his first-career sack. Boney was in a group of 12 Wolverines who recorded at least 0.5 TFLs on the day, and Boney tied for the lead on the team with 1.5 TFLs alongside sophomore Benny Patterson III.

This type of performance, despite being his first significant playing time on a Saturday, was not unexpected from his teammates.

"It's definitely in line with what I've seen in practice," sophomore Chase Taylor said. "He played for sure because you can see that he's got the size, talent, build, speed. It's just coming together."

As a true freshman, Boney is starting to make a name for himself with a stellar performance against the Miners. And if Saturday was any indication, it's going to be hard to keep Boney off the field in the coming weeks.