With fall camp fast approaching, it's time to take another look at what Michigan's defense will look like when it takes on Fresno State on Aug. 31. Michigan lost key players from its 2023 national championship team, including Brayden McGregor, Kris Jenkins, Jalen Harrell, Junior Colson, Michael Barrett, Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace. However, the Wolverines have a number of returning stars and should once again be a top defense in 2024.
Here are my predictions for what Michigan’s defense will look like in 2024.
In case you missed it: Michigan football offensive line depth chart projections for 2024
Starters: Josiah Stewart (EDGE), Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, Derrick Moore (EDGE)
Backups: TJ Guy (EDGE), Rayshawn Benny, Enow Etta, Tyler McLaurin (EDGE)
Candidates: Trey Pierce, Cam Brandt, Kechaun Bennett (EDGE), Breon Ishmael (EDGE), Aymeric Koumba (EDGE), Dominic Nichols (EDGE), Brooks Barr, Alessandro Lorenzetti
There may not be a better starting defensive line in college football than the Michigan Wolverines in 2024. Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, both just juniors, are arguably the best interior lineman duo in the country. Graham ranked fourth among all defensive linemen last year with a PFF defensive grade of 90.0. Grant was 32nd with an 80.4, playing behind Kris Jenkins. Now, as starters, both will be clogging lanes to stop the run, but they are both better than you'd think at getting to the quarterback.
Jalen Harrell and Brayden McGregor were solid starters for Michigan in 2023, but Derrick Moore and Josiah Stewart could be upgrades. As a backup last year, Stewart was second at Michigan with 5.5 sacks and Moore was third with five. Moore was second on the team with a PFF pass-rush grade of 81.0. It's hard to imagine both Stewart and Moore not soaring in production as full-time starters.
The loss of last season's three main players has thinned the roster. But Michigan isn't completely lonely. TJ Guy and Rayshawn Benny have a season or two under their belts. In fact, Benny has been a player for a few years now. He's coming back from injury, but he recorded 27 tackles and 5.5 TFL in 2023 and should be the first lineman to take the rotation. Guy hasn't played in many games, but he's one of the players beloved by teammates and coaches. Both Guy and Enou Etta are agile and explosive and should be big factors for Michigan in 2024.
The third EDGE is a bit of a mystery behind Guy. I'd go with senior Tyler McLaurin, but don't discount the possibility of a young player like Aymeric Koumba or Breon Ishmail joining the rotation as well. The Wolverines are also very hopeful that interior guys like Trey Pierce and Cam Brandt will be productive in '24.
Starters: Ernest Hausman, Jayshawn Barham, Jimmy Rolder (third linebacker).
Backups: Jaedon Hood, Micah Pollard, Cole Sullivan
Actors: Christian Boysen, Jason Hewlett, Mason Curtis, Zach Ludwig
Michigan will have a hard time replacing Junior Colson and Michael Barrett in 2024, but the Wolverines have two players who could do that — if they can. Ernest Hausman was Michigan's No. 3 linebacker a year ago after transferring from Nebraska, and Michigan also acquired Jayshawn Barham from Maryland this offseason.
Hausman was fifth among linebackers in the entire Big Ten last season with a tackle grade of 85.8. He was also third at Michigan with 46 tackles. Hausman rarely missed tackles and is one of the best open-field tacklers on the team. Barham is not far behind Hausman and some believe he would have been selected in the 2024 NFL Draft had he been eligible last season. The third-year linebacker was a freshman All-American at Maryland two seasons ago. From 2022 to 2023, his performance at Maryland has declined slightly. His tackle numbers dropped from 58 to 37 between his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Both are athletic and tough, but the only concern for Michigan's starting linebackers is their ability to cover. Colson and Barrett were among the best in the Big Ten in coverage last year. Hausman isn't far behind Barrett, but Barham's PFF coverage rating was just 44.7. Barham allowed 16 catches on 21 targets. Michigan will have to improve in this area if Barham is going to play the majority of snaps.
Michigan lost several players to the linebacker portal this offseason, but has some talent returning. Guys like Jimmy Rolder and Jaedon Hood are on the team and are getting playing time. Rolder contributed greatly in his freshman season, and Hood saw increased playing time last year. Freshman Cole Sullivan lived up to expectations from the coaching staff and players during spring training. The Wolverines have more depth at linebacker than some may think.
Starters: Will Johnson, Amir Hall, Jayden McBurrows (nickel)
Backups: Jair Hill, Ricky Johnson, Zeke Berry (nickel)
Nominees: Myles Pollard, Cody Jones, Keshawn Harris, Joziah Edmond, Jeremiah Lowe
Losing players like Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace isn't an easy fix, but the return of Michigan's top corner Will Johnson will help. The All-American returns and is already projected to be a top-five selection in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. But who will be next in line to take the NBA draft is a bit of a mystery.
On the other side of the field, it will be a battle between Jair Hill and Amir Hall (transfer from Albany). I like Hill and think he will play a lot in '24, but I look at Hall the same way I looked at Wallace last year. He's a veteran who has played a lot of college football. Hall was an FCS All-American last year at Albany. He recorded 57 tackles and 5 interceptions, and PFF gave him an 85.7 defensive grade, second only to Wallace on that Michigan team. Hall is a physical cornerback and a newcomer to the Big Ten, but Hall has experience on his side.
And at nickel, it will be a battle between Zeke Berry and Jaden McBurrows. When looking at this competition, what most people tend to forget is that McBurrows was the primary backup to Saint Ristill last season and did very well when he got the chance. He played 182 snaps for the Wolverines defense and was the team's third-leading tackler with an 83.9 grade according to PFF. He recorded an interception and was sixth among Michigan defensive backs with a 73.9 coverage grade. Berry is good and talented, but I think McBurrows was the early pick for the 24-year-old Wolverines because he is a seasoned veteran.
Michigan also acquired UNLV's Ricky Johnson through the portal. He didn't grade well last year in PFF's rankings, but he's also a seasoned veteran who should play a role for the Wolverines. Guys like Myles Pollard and Cody Jones have been there for a few seasons and will do everything in their power to get on the field this year.
Starters: Rod Moore (injured), Makari Paige, Wesley Walker
Backups: Jaden Mangum, Quinten Johnson
Starring: Brandyn Hillman, Jacob Oden
Michigan was initially in a tough spot to swallow after losing Keyon Sabu to Alabama this offseason and Rod Moore to an injury that will keep him out for the time being. But Michigan got some good news when Quinten Johnson said he would return for one more season and Sherone Moore departed to acquire Wesley Walker (Tennessee) and Jaeden Mangum (Michigan State). Even without Moore, the Wolverines' safety corps is very well stocked, and this could be the biggest position battle in defensive football.
We know Makari Paige has cemented his place in the starting lineup. Paige was considered the Wolverines' best tackler last season. He made 41 tackles and earned an 86.0 PFF tackle grade as Michigan's best defensive back.
But who will start opposite Paige is a mystery. The Wolverines have three safeties — Johnson, Walker and Mangum — who I think could start right away. As we saw last year, Michigan rotated all three safeties on the field together often, and that will likely be the case again this year.
But if I were to pick a starter today, I would choose Wesley Walker. In 349 coverage snaps as the starting safety at Tennessee, Walker didn't allow a single touchdown. He would have been the Wolverines' sixth-best defensive back last year behind Will Johnson with a 75.0 coverage grade. He has no experience at Michigan, but is entering his sixth season with 2,237 career snaps.
Again, I view Mangum and Johnson as starting-caliber safeties and think they will both play. Johnson played all 15 games for Michigan in 2023 and made big plays against opponents like Ohio State. He is also entering his sixth year and has a good role with the Wolverines. Even if you add two solid safeties via the portal, it is hard to imagine him not playing this year. Mangum played 606 snaps at Michigan State last year, which is almost as many snaps as Mike Sainristil played in four fewer games at Michigan, and he was fearsome against opponents' runs. He was graded with a run defense grade of 82.7 by PFF and could play a big role when it comes to stuffing the box in 2024.
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