Michigan’s safety room is wide open because of the injury to Rod Moore. Can sophomore Brandyn Hillman be the answer?
The Michigan Wolverines ’ secondary took a hit in the spring when projected starting safety Rod Moore tore his ACL, potentially ending his season before it even started. New defensive back coach Lamar Morgan has his work cut out for him in finding who will fill in the role, and based on previous conversations, it seems like it will be a rotation of guys who will get the nod.
One of those options is sophomore safety Brandyn Hillman who will almost assuredly play in a larger capacity this fall. With much still up in the air, Hillman will get a chance to seize a big opportunity.
The story so far
Hillman was a late addition to the 2023 recruiting class after committing to Notre Dame in 2022 before flipping to Michigan in March 2023. He was a standout four-star prospect that threw and ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his junior and senior high school seasons leading to him being the No. 214 player in the nation per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
The 6-foot-0 Virginia native moved up the defensive back depth chart quickly after standing out on special teams, finding his way into the safety rotation and appearing in nine contests. His last appearance was in mid-November in the win over Maryland, but he did not see play in the run to the national title.
Outlook for 2024
In July, Morgan was on an episode of In The Trenches and spoke about what safety and nickel could look like for the Wolverines this fall after Moore’s ACL tear:
“I would be naïve to say just one player can replace [Moore],” said the Michigan DB coach, “but I do think if you look at who we brought in at the safety position, along with (Quentin Johnson) and (Brandyn Hillman) and Zeke (Berry) and Kody (Jones) and all these guys we have back there, we tried to bring in guys that have played a lot, because I do think experience matters. Even if it’s a limited role, at least you have experience. You know what you’re going to get. But us replacing Rod, I don’t know if he’s replaceable.”
Quentin Johnson’s return became even more crucial after the Moore injury and it’s likely that he is the favorite to start opposite of Makari Paige, with Zeke Berry filling in at nickel. However, if this defense looks anything like the last few seasons in the Wink Martindale-style scheme, Hillman will be a rotational piece, and potentially the backup for both Paige and Johnson come kickoff later this month.