For many rivals hoping that the Wolverines' national championship win will send Michigan football off a cliff, hopes and dreams do not represent reality.
The Maize and Blue have a lot of depth on defense, with three likely first-round picks in defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, and cornerback Will Johnson. The safety room is completely full, with the linebacking duo of Ernest Huisman and Jayshawn Barham also likely to be drafted on day one or two.
So even though Michigan loses a lot of talent overall, it's poised to be among the nation's elite, at least defensively.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg has compiled a ranking of the future defensive strength of the top offense-stopping attackers (subscription required), and he has the Michigan Wolverines at No. 3 (same as this time last year).
Wolverines Scouting: The University of Michigan's 2023 defense may ultimately be remembered like the University of Georgia's in terms of excellence and historical significance. But unlike Georgia in 2022, Michigan actually retains some of the top NFL prospects for next season. Cornerback Will Johnson and linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant all return, as do key players like edge rusher Josiah Stewart and safeties Makari Page and Quinten Johnson. Major changes have come to the staff as Martindale returns to the college ranks for the first time since 2003 and the University of Michigan has three new position coaches (linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary also joined UM in 2020). served as a coach). The secondary could continue to be a strength with Johnson, a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. Michigan needs to find an answer at the other corner spot, a safe spot after Rod Moore's knee injury, and a nickel following the transfer of sub Keon. All eyes will be on sophomores DJ Waller Jr. and Gyah Hill.
Rittenberg talks about the front, edge and linebacker positions. Every position has unknown potential other than the starters, but several players have emerged this spring.
Some of the frequently mentioned players include defensive lineman Inou Etta, edge rushers TJ Guy and Cameron Blount, and linebacker Jadon Hood. A little-known fact is that interior lineman Trey Pierce is talented, big, and could be poised to make the same kind of jump as Kenneth Grant, who made the transition from freshman to sophomore year a year ago. There is.
As far as other defenses go, only Georgia and Iowa are ranked higher than the Maize and Blue. Ohio State was No. 5, 2024 Week 2 opponent Texas was No. 8, Penn State was No. 9, Oregon State was No. 13, Wisconsin was No. 17 and Rutgers was No. 23. [autotag]
The story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire
