Michigan's 2022 Defense: Taking Inventory
At this point it's hard to talk about Michigan football in 2022 and beyond. No one knows what Jim Harbaugh is going to do and the team is without a defensive coordinator right now. Still, there are some things that we can discuss regardless of Harbaugh's future or who is running the defense next season.
Losses
Boy, are there a lot. Let's start at the top with one-year wonder Mike Macdonald. The young, first-time defensive coordinator did a bang up job as U-M's defensive play caller during his one year in Ann Arbor. He's now heading back to the NFL and back to Baltimore as the new DC for the Ravens, so whoever the head coach is next year will have to find a new man to run the defense.
The Wolverines also had replace defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who had been working under Harbaugh for three seasons but left to go to USC. Nua has already been replaced by former Notre Dame defensive line coach and U-M alum Mike Elston, which is viewed as an upgrade, but change is change.
As for the dudes on the field, Michigan is losing seven of its starters who were in the top eight when it comes to snap counts. Daxton Hill (739 snaps), Vincent Gray (686), Brad Hawkins (678), Aidan Hutchinson (673), Joshua Ross (660), Christopher Hinton (505) and David Ojabo (476) made up the bulk of the defensive experience. Losing all of those guys, along with a defensive coordinator who helped Michigan achieve brand new levels of success, and a defensive line coach, is going to be very, very difficult to replace.
Returners
DJ Turner is the only returning player who finished inside the top eight of snap counts from the 2021 season — he was No. 6 on the list with 506 logged snaps. Mazi Smith (459 snaps), RJ Moten (453), Junior Colson (433), Gemon Green (341), Mike Morris (319), Nikhai Hill-Green (314) and Rod Moore (283) all played a good bit of football as well, but were clearly a cut below Turner and obviously the players moving on.
Donovan Jeter (who may or may not return), Taylor Upshaw, Jaylen Harrell, Michael Barrett, Julius Welschof and Kris Jenkins all also earned noteworthy playing time as well but should not be viewed as regular contributors based on 2021's numbers.
There is certainly talent among those 13 players, but it's unproven. Michigan's new defensive coordinator will hopefully get a David Ojabo-like leap from at least one of those players and normal, substantial development from a small handful of others.
Potential Contributors
Trying to identify potential contributors is tough because you really never know how someone is developing on the field, especially from year one to year two. But even with a guy like Ojabo, it was after year three that he exploded after barely playing as a sophomore.
At cornerback, soon to be second-year man Ja'Den McBurrows received pretty solid reviews throughout the season but never really earned legitimate playing time and then he finished the year on crutches. With Vincent Gray on his way out, the starting cornerback position opposite Turner is up for grabs as is the nickel spot previously occupied by Daxton Hill. It feels a little like the ship has sailed on fourth-year cornerback Jalen Perry, but he'll get a look there too and was once talked about pretty highly by Jim Harbaugh. That'll be the case for Eamonn Dennis as well. He's been described as one of the fastest players on the team and has the right build at 5-10, 175 to chase around smaller, slot players as a nickel.
At safety, Makari Paige played a decent amount as a true freshman but then barely saw the field last year. Could year three be a turning point for him like it was for Ojabo?
Replacing Hutchinson and Ojabo is going to be the tallest task for the Wolverines. Morris, Upshaw and Harrell figure to attack the challenge the most, but maybe third-year man Braiden McGregor can make some noise. He's got a great build, a lot of upside and athleticism and the same luscious, blonde locks as Hutch. Michigan fans would certainly love to see him take a step and he was once a HUGE target for Elston when he was still at Notre Dame. Heading into his second year, TJ Guy showed some promise. He managed to record a sack this year and has a more compact, athletic build that could be problematic for tackles.
In the middle, a couple of players will need to step up to replace Hinton. Both Rayshaun Benny and Ike Iwunnah have the size necessary at more than 300 pounds, but as rising sophomores, are they ready physically from a strength standpoint? We'll see. It will also be really interesting to see how Elston brings them along.
Finally, behind those guys we could see more of third-year man Kalel Mullings. At 6-1, 236 pounds, Mullings is a former running back with a lot of athleticism and open field ability. He's played some, but maybe that goes way up in 2022.
Incoming Recruits
Michigan signed 12 defensive players from its 2022 recruiting class and several of them might just find their way onto the field in the fall.
The most likely contributor is five-star cornerback Will Johnson. With a spot open, Johnson is primed and ready to step in and play from day one. He's 6-3 but moves like a much smaller defensive back. After his performance in the Under Armour All-American game, he's now viewed as the best cornerback in the entire country. If his number is called, he'll be ready.
Safeties Zeke Berry and Keon Sabb are also both physically ready and good enough to play in year one. Michigan has to replace Daxton Hill and Brad Hawkins so there are snaps to be had by versatile defensive backs. Berry and Sabb are going to be in the discussion. I don't think you can rule out Kody Jones either. He feels like the 2022 version of Rod Moore. He's about the same size as Moore and does a lot of the same things. He's fast, quick, has great ball skills and is billed as a gym rat type. If someone surprises, I'd bet on Jones.
Finally, Kenneth Grant is interesting. It's hard for a true freshman to play at defensive tackle, but at 6-4 and somewhere north of 340 pounds, he's big enough to get a look and Elston will need depth there in Hinton's absence.
