ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan got a lot of mileage out of the “no-star defense” label, which came to symbolize a group that was greater than the sum of its parts.
There was a time when the label fit, but not anymore. Several of the players who were part of that original no-star defense became stars in their own right and will be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft. Though the Wolverines have a lot to replace from last year’s No. 1-ranked defense, they also have a lot coming back, starting with Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, three of the best players in the country at their positions.
Even with some offseason losses, Michigan’s defense should be among the most talented in college football in 2024. Here’s a thought on each of the 40 defensive players lining up for Michigan this spring. (Note that Michigan lists players by academic class, and many players on this list have redshirt years available.)
Read thoughts on all of Michigan’s offensive players here.
Edges (9)
Josaiah Stewart (Sr.): Stewart had an adjustment period after transferring from Coastal Carolina but finished strong with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss and was part of the pivotal stop on the final play of the Rose Bowl. He platooned with Jaylen Harrell last year and was a productive player when he was on the field. Now that he’s in more of a featured role, Stewart has a shot to be one of the most disruptive edge defenders in the Big Ten.
Derrick Moore (Jr.): Moore shed about 20 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons to become more explosive as a pass rusher. It paid off with a productive season, as he and Braiden McGregor combined for 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. Moore came to Michigan as a top-100 recruit, played his way onto the field right away and heads into next season as one of the Wolverines’ top breakout candidates.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Buy
TJ Guy (Sr.): Jesse Minter liked to rotate players up front. Will Wink Martindale do the same, or will Michigan rely on Stewart and Moore to play the majority share of the snaps? It depends on Guy and Michigan’s other developmental players on the edge. A three-star prospect from the Class of 2021, Guy played sparingly during his first three years on campus but has been one of the most talked-about players so far this spring.
Kechaun Bennett (Sr.): Bennett and Guy committed to Michigan when Don Brown was still the defensive coordinator, and neither has carved out a major role to this point. We’ll see if their patience is rewarded now that Harrell and McGregor are gone to the NFL.
Tyler McLaurin (Sr.): McLaurin started out as a 210-pound linebacker and transformed into a 247-pound edge rusher. He’s another player who stuck around without a lot of snaps to show for it. If it’s going to happen for him at Michigan, it probably needs to happen soon.
Enow Etta (So.): Etta, the top-rated player in Michigan’s 2023 class, has been getting some steady buzz this spring. He’s bigger than most of Michigan’s edge players at 295 pounds and has the flexibility to line up inside, similar to the way Michigan used Mike Morris two years ago. Expect to see more of him this year.
Aymeric Koumba (So.): Koumba, the first player from France to sign with Michigan, has the length and athleticism to be an elite pass rusher. He could be the next David Ojabo, or he could be a long-term developmental project. It might be too soon to tell.
Breeon Ishmail (So.): Michigan took a chance on Ishmail, an athlete without a position who didn’t have many big-time offers. If he can move at 260 pounds the way he did in high school at 220, the Wolverines might have something to work with.
Dominic Nichols (Fr.): Michigan signed three edge rushers in its 2024 class. Nichols might not have the highest ceiling of the group, but he could be the most ready to contribute, especially with the benefit of spring practice.
GO DEEPER
Michigan completes staff with new D-line coach
Defensive tackles (8)
Mason Graham (Jr.): There aren’t many defenders in the country more valuable than Graham. He’s going to play a long time in the NFL and won’t have to wait long to hear his name called if he decides to enter the draft in 2025. He’s already made his mark at Michigan, and a big junior season would cement him as one of the great defensive linemen of the recent era.
Kenneth Grant (Jr.): Teams won’t have a lot of fun running between the tackles against Michigan. Grant and Graham might be the top interior tandem in the country, and neither has maxed out his potential. Grant has steadily improved his conditioning since arriving at Michigan, and the more he’s on the field, the better Michigan’s defense will be.
Rayshaun Benny (Sr.): Benny was playing well before an ankle injury in the Rose Bowl that sidelined him for the CFP championship game. He could start at a lot of Big Ten schools and should be the first player off the bench when Graham and Grant need a breather.
Ike Iwunnah (Sr.): Experience drops off in a hurry after the top three. Iwunnah, a three-star prospect from the Class of 2021, hasn’t appeared in a game in three years but has a chance to change that this season.
Alessandro Lorenzetti (Jr.): Lorenzetti signed with Michigan as an offensive lineman out of Montreal and moved to defense last year. He’s providing depth right now, but that can always change.
Trey Pierce (So.): Pierce got solid playing time as a freshman, appearing in 13 games on defense and special teams. That’s a solid indication that Michigan expects him to contribute as a sophomore. The one-time Wisconsin commit from Chicago was a late addition to Michigan’s 2023 class who could end up being one of the earliest contributors on defense.
Cameron Brandt (So.): Brandt was another late addition to the 2023 class who saw solid playing time on defense and special teams as a freshman. He’s a bit lighter at 277 pounds and has the versatility to play inside or outside, which could give him more pathways to contribute as a sophomore.
Brooks Bahr (So.): Bahr didn’t log any snaps as a freshman and could be on a slightly different developmental track from Pierce and Brandt. He was an early target of former defensive line coach Mike Elston and has the size to play inside or on the edge at 6-feet-5 and 298 pounds.
Jaishawn Barham had 95 tackles in two years at Maryland. (Jim Dedmon / USA Today)
Linebackers (10)
Ernest Hausmann (Jr.): Landing Hausmann as a transfer from Nebraska was a way to add depth to last year’s defense while preparing for a future without Junior Colson and Michael Barrett. That future has arrived, and Hausmann should be right in the middle of it.
Jaishawn Barham (Jr.): Barham is a big-time athlete who started 23 games in two years at Maryland. His ability to rush the quarterback is a perfect match for Martindale, a defensive coordinator who loves to blitz.
Jimmy Rolder (Jr.): After a promising freshman season, Rolder missed the first part of last year with an injury before working his way onto the field in the second half of the season. Don’t be surprised if he’s pushing Hausmann and Barham for snaps.
Jaydon Hood (Sr.): Hood started to get some traction last season, appearing in six games at linebacker with 13 tackles and a forced fumble. If he continues on that trajectory, he should be in line for a bigger role this year.
Micah Pollard (Jr.): Pollard was an edge rusher in high school who moved to linebacker at Michigan and has contributed mostly on special teams his first two seasons. He’s still learning the position but has athleticism that could get him on the field.
Jason Hewlett (Soph.): Hewlett was one of those do-everything athletes who came to Michigan without a clearly defined position. He landed at linebacker and could have a future there as he puts everything together.
Semaj Bridgeman (So.): It’s too early to say what Michigan has in Bridgeman, a top-300 prospect from the Class of 2023. He had recruiting interest from Alabama and Georgia, but Michigan and Rutgers were the schools in the running at the end.
Hayden Moore (So.): Moore was a tackling machine who racked up 197 tackles as a senior at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colo. Despite ranking outside the top 1,100 in the 247Sports Composite, Moore had a solid list of Power 5 offers and was on his way to Nebraska before signing with Michigan.
Cole Sullivan (Fr.): Sullivan was one of the first players Martindale mentioned when he spoke to reporters before the start of spring practice. It was in a “this guy could be really good someday” context, but that’s not a bad way to start a career.
Jeremiah Beasley (Fr.): Beasley, an in-state prospect from Belleville, is the other freshman linebacker on campus this spring. He also played running back in high school and has a bit of Kalel Mullings in his game.
GO DEEPER
Can Michigan reload on offense? Spring thoughts on every player with 10 starters gone
Cornerbacks (7)
Will Johnson (Jr.): Johnson is going to be at or near the top of the cornerback class for the 2025 NFL Draft. He played through injuries most of last season and still came up big in Michigan’s biggest games with interceptions against Ohio State and Washington in the CFP championship game. With another year at full health, he’ll be in the running for the Thorpe Award and first-team All-America honors.
DJ Waller Jr. (So.): Maybe Waller can be what Amorion Walker was supposed to be. Coaches and teammates raved about Walker’s length and athleticism last spring, but he was overtaken by Josh Wallace on the depth chart and transferred to Ole Miss. Waller has similar size at 6-3 and 205 pounds and is in the running to start opposite Johnson at cornerback.
Jyaire Hill (So.): Hill, a top-200 prospect in his class, came to Michigan with a reputation as a playmaker, and he’s added to it this spring. He and Waller appear to be moving up the depth chart, setting up a potential battle in preseason camp.
Ja’Den McBurrows (Sr.): After an injury-plagued start to his career, McBurrows worked his way into the two-deep last year and played meaningful snaps at nickel. He’s a strong contender to replace Mike Sainristil in that role next season.
Myles Pollard (Jr.): Pollard is a player we haven’t heard a lot about this spring, good or bad. He has plenty of time to make up ground in the cornerback competition, but Waller and Hill are a year younger and appear to be trending up. Can Pollard keep pace?
Kody Jones (Jr.): Jones seemed like a natural fit to play nickel when he committed to Michigan, and he could push McBurrows for that spot in the fall. Michigan has some long, rangy corners, but Jones is more compact and could do well covering receivers in the slot.
Keshaun Harris (Sr.): Harris started three games at cornerback last September when Johnson was coming back from an injury. His playing time trailed off, and he was mostly a special teams contributor by the end of the year. Michigan’s coaches have trusted him to play meaningful snaps in the past, and he can do so again if needed.
Will Johnson was a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2023. (Thomas Shea / USA Today)
Safeties (6)
Rod Moore (Sr.): Michigan hasn’t commented on reports that Moore injured his knee early in spring practices and will let Moore address the situation on his own terms. From what I’ve been told, it was a non-contact injury that will put Moore’s 2024 season in doubt. That’s a brutal break for one of the top safeties in college football and one of the best leaders in Michigan’s program.
Makari Paige (Sr.): If Moore is out, there’s even more of an onus on Paige to lead Michigan’s safety unit. Paige has been a steady player a long time at Michigan, but the Wolverines may need him to be more than that now. The word out of spring practices is that he’s embraced that challenge.
Quinten Johnson (Gr.): Johnson decided to come back for a sixth season, and Michigan is thankful he did. A crowded safety rotation has thinned out in a hurry with Moore going down and Keon Sabb transferring to Alabama. Having a player with Johnson’s smarts and experience will be valuable as Michigan tries to put its depth chart back together.
Zeke Berry (Jr.): Berry has a wide-open path to playing time if he can seize it. He was known for his track speed in high school but hasn’t had many chances to show it on the field. He has the chance now and needs to make the most of it.
Brandyn Hillman (So.): Hillman signed a letter of intent at Notre Dame before getting his release and signing with Michigan last year. It’s easy to forget about him since he wasn’t part of Michigan’s 2023 class on signing day, but he was one of Michigan’s highest-rated players from that class at No. 215 in the 247Sports Composite. It won’t be a surprise to see him climbing the depth chart as a sophomore.
Jacob Oden (Fr.): Oden, a Detroit prospect who played at Harper Woods High School, was one of Michigan’s first commitments for the Class of 2024. Observing Moore would have been a perfect way to spend his first spring on campus, but there’s still a lot he can absorb as an early enrollee.
(Top photo of Mason Graham, Josaiah Stewart and Kenneth Grant: Daniel Dunn / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
