Martindale Preaches Communication As Michigan Defensive Objective No. 1

During his opening press conference at Michigan, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale lauded his team’s early communication skills.

When spring ball begins in Ann Arbor on Monday, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will have the first opportunity to take a live action look at his new squad.

Even though Miichigan’s roster faces massive overhaul with 18 Wolverines earning an invite to the 2024 NFL Combine, Martindale is confident that UM will field another aggressive, tenacious defense this fall. To further illustrate that prediction, Martindale spoke about the strongpoints of Michigan’s defense and why he’s optimistic for its future despite the unavoidable growing pains that associate roster turnover.

“I think that you could tell, especially towards the end of the year last year, everybody was on one accord,” Martindale said. “The communication was on point and you could see them actually working together and really step up and play. I saw the carryover of that yesterday with just a walkthrough, that part of it. The communication part is what stands out to me.”

Keeping constant, fluid communication is part of what propelled Michigan to its National Championship victory last season, and making sure each player knows their assignments will once again remain crucial as offenses continue to shift and adapt. Thankfully, Martindale has already identified at least one leader who he trusts to carry out his instructions.

“We have those type of players here,” Martindale began. “Rod Moore, he's the safety that, and I'm not talking about play-wise or anything else,” Martindale said. “Smart-wise, football knowledge-wise, all that. He reminds me of Eric Weddle and he was one of the smartest safeties I've ever coached. I called Weddle and told him about it.”

As a two-time All-Big Ten selection, Moore already has 28 starts under his belt at Michigan, and he’s seen the evolution of the Wolverines’ defense from College Football Finalists to Champions. Moore’s heady, astute on-field observations will be key to Michigan’s success this fall, but he’s not alone when tasked with leadership.

“Everybody has a voice in this defense,” Martindale said. “Everybody is an individual stockholder if you will. I think that the day that you stop wanting to learn, whatever it is, is the day you start dying. I'm not ready to do that yet.”

Although Martindale arrives in Ann Arbor with over 20 years of NFL coaching experience, he also brings a sense of development and growth that should resonate across the Michigan program. While Martindale is experienced, he is far from arrogant, and that level-headed approach is how he empowers his players to contribute with ideas and suggestions during team meetings.

Elsewhere during Martindale’s presser, the UM defensive coordinator highlighted Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant as two of the foundational pieces to his defense. Pro Football Focus ranked Graham and Grant as the No. 1 and No. 6 returning defensive tackles in the nation respectively, and the pair of run-clogging tackles look to anchor the Wolverines’ defensive front in 2024.

How will Michigan’s defense fare with Wink Martindale at the helm? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter for more Wolverine Digest updates.