Michigan has sent plenty of defensive stars to the NFL in recent years, and the trend continued in 2025. But should fans be worried about replacing their production? Here’s a brief look at Michigan’s history of replacing defensive stars:
Regardless of how good its teams have been as a whole, Michigan’s calling card since the start of the Jim Harbaugh era has been defensive dominance. Year after year, the Wolverines have one of the top defenses in the Big Ten, if not the country. That trend continued in 2024, with Michigan still being among the nation’s best even with an 8-5 record.
Unsurprisingly, if your team has a great defense, it will send plenty of contributors to the next level. Michigan has done that since the start of the Harbaugh era, as 37 defensive players have been selected out of Ann Arbor in the last 10 NFL drafts.
This spring, the Wolverines sent Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson and Josaiah Stewart to the pros, so there are some serious holes to be filled. Should fans be concerned Michigan won’t be able to replace all that departing production?
Today, we’ll take a look at how Michigan has fared replacing its defensive stars in recent seasons.
2019
Key departures from 2018: Rashan Gary, Devin Bush, Chase Winovich, David Long
While Michigan’s 2019 defense wasn’t the strongest Don Brown ever had, it featured plenty of young talent stepping in for veterans. The Wolverines had lost three anchors of their previous defenses in defensive ends Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich, not to mention a leader in linebacker Devin Bush.
In 2019, we saw Michigan turn to the duo of Kwity Paye and a young Aidan Hutchinson as their new defensive end duo. This turned out to be quite effective, as they combined for 11 sacks that season. Mike Danna also chipped in with three sacks of his own, while Josh Uche had 8.5. In other words, the pass rush didn’t struggle without Gary and Winovich.
The second and third levels of the defense is where the Wolverines did struggle, as they relied on Jordan Glasgow and an inexperienced Cameron McGrone to replace Bush’s production. Meanwhile, the Michigan secondary struggled with the loss of David Long, particularly late in the year. Overall, Michigan’s defense allowed 20.5 points per game in 2019, which was the 25th-best in the nation.
2020
Key departures from 2019: Josh Uche, Khaleke Hudson, Mike Danna, Josh Metellus
Let’s continue with a season everyone remembers so fondly, shall we? Michigan’s 2020 season was something of an outlier in Harbaugh’s tenure, but the defense allowing 34.5 points per game particularly stood out.
Michigan’s pass rush was nonexistent, as the leader in sacks were Paye and Carlo Kemp with two each. As you might recall, Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury in the third game of the season.
As you might expect with a weak pass rush, the secondary suffered and allowed 255.5 passing yards per game. The primary corners were Vincent Gray and Gemon Green, who both ended up doing well later in their Michigan careers, but were rather inexperienced at the time.
2021
Key departures from 2020: Kwity Paye, Cameron McGrone
Michigan’s defense returned to prominence in 2021 partially because of the arrival of Mike Macdonald and the “Ravens-style” system, but also because plenty of contributors returned. The headliners of the defense were Hutchinson and David Ojabo, who set the tone with a combined 25 sacks. Mazi Smith, Donovan Jeter and Chris Hinton were also stout up the middle.
Meanwhile, Josh Ross and Nikhai Hill-Green stabilized the middle of the defense, while a freshman Junior Colson showed flashes of his Star potential.
In the secondary, the Wolverines were also stellar. Fans might remember Dax Hill’s breakout season alongside Brad Hawkins and a young Rod Moore at safety. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Gray took a big step forward with his coverage skills at corner, while D.J. Turner also emerged as a major contributor. In 2021, Michigan’s defense was in the top-10 nationally in points allowed per game with 17.4.
2022
Key departures from 2021: Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill, David Ojabo, Vincent Gray, Josh Ross
Out went Macdonald and in came Jesse Minter, yet the Michigan defense didn’t miss a beat, allowing just 16.1 points per game.
The Wolverines lost plenty of production heading into this season, particularly on the defensive line. Hutchinson and Ojabo were gone, but Mike Morris, Eyabi Okie and Jaylen Harrell filled the void. While Michigan’s new pass-rush-by-committee wasn’t as productive in the sack column, it generated enough pressure to keep offenses on their toes.
The secondary is where the Wolverines really shined, even with the departures of Hill and Gray. Mike Sainristil made the seamless transition to nickel, while Turner and Green took their games to another level at corner. Fans also got to see freshman Will Johnson emerge as a star.
2023
Key departures from 2022: Mazi Smith, D.J. Turner, Mike Morris, Gemon Green
As you might expect, the national champions did a wonderful job on the defensive side, allowing a nation-leading 10.4 points per game and suffocating even the most high-powered offenses. Part of the reason for that was the production the Wolverines returned.
Smith and Morris left for the NFL, but there was plenty of talent waiting in the wings. This season, we saw breakouts from Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Harrell. Michigan also brought back Jenkins, Braiden McGregor and Derrick Moore, while bringing in Josaiah Stewart from the transfer portal.
At linebacker, Colson and Mike Barrett asserted themselves as one of the best duos in the nation, showing skills in run support and pass coverage. Meanwhile, the secondary was just as dominant as ever, surrendering 157 yards per game through the air. This was thanks to stellar seasons out of Sainristil and Johnson with contributions from Moore, Keon Sabb, Josh Wallace and others.
2024
Key departures from 2023: Mike Sainristil, Junior Colson, Kris Jenkins, Mike Barrett, Jaylen Harrell
As you might expect, Michigan’s defense took a step back in 2024, but it’s fair to say it went from being “elite” to “good.” The Wolverines still only allowed 19.9 points per game last year despite bringing in a new defensive coordinator in Wink Martindale and losing a handful of stars.
The defensive front was largely still effective, as Graham and Grant proved to be the best duo of defensive tackles in the country. Meanwhile, Stewart and T.J. Guy enjoyed breakout seasons off the edge with 8.5 and 5.5 sacks, respectively. Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham served as the primary linebackers and stabilized the middle of the defense.
Michigan’s secondary struggled at first, but found its footing as the season progressed. Michigan relied on Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill and Brandyn Hillman in its secondary late in the year, and that trio should lead the way for the secondary in the upcoming 2025 season as well.