The tape doesn’t lie — Michigan’s defense is loaded heading into 2024.
We’re counting down the days until Michigan’s spring game and there’s a lot of excitement around the defensive personnel returning this season. We won’t see the same depth we did last season, but there’s still a lot of talent returning on this defense.
Defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant have a lot of momentum after their play throughout the season last year. Just this week, the two were named to CBS Sports’s top 100 players of 2024. Mason Graham is third on the list, and returning cornerback Will Johnson is ranked 11th.
Kenneth Grant & Mason Graham are 2 of the best DTs in CFB & they still have 1 more season left pic.twitter.com/XCG1mZaWL8
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) February 5, 2024
While Mike Sainristil stole the show with interceptions last season, Will Johnson had some big ones of his own. He had an acrobatic catch in the National Championship Game, a pick six in the Minnesota game, and a huge interception in The Game last November.
PICKED OFF @UmichFootball ‘s defense jumps all over it pic.twitter.com/hZVmL1Xpmy
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023
Here are just a few more 2023 highlights for the guys returning on defense in 2024.
In Michigan’s first game of the 2023 season against East Carolina, you can see glimpses of what the defense might look like this fall. East Carolina decided to go for it on fourth down with about 6:50 left in the game, but linebacker Ernest Haussmann was there to make the tackle.
Haussman’s biggest game statistically was against Iowa during the Big Ten Championship Game, when he registered eight tackles last season. The Wolverines are losing two talented linebackers, Mike Barrett and Junior Colson, to the NFL, but Haussmann can potentially make a big impact next fall.
Another guy hoping to make a huge impact this season is Rayshaun Benny. Here’s a look at a fumble he forced during the Penn State game last year. Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions were moving the football and picked up a few first downs, but on third-and-2, Benny forced the ball out. Makari Paige was there to recover it, and he is another guy Michigan is glad to have back on defense.
Derrick Moore is another defender looking to have a strong 2024 season after playing behind Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. He came up with a big tackle against Minnesota last season that shows his ability to make a stop on third down.
We know edge Josaiah Stewart will wear No. 0 on defense. Pro Football Focus says he’s one of the top returners in that position next season after putting up plenty of highlights in 2023.
Michigan losing Rod Moore in the secondary is a big blow. Still, the Wolverines will have Quinten Johnson returning in the secondary, despite declaring for the draft after Michigan won it all. We’re hoping he’s able to make some more hits like the one he made on Emeka Egbuka in Ann Arbor last year.
What. A. HIT. @Umichfootball pic.twitter.com/dpGFabMd5Q
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023
While there are still some questions when it comes to Michigan’s secondary, it’s hard to deny the talent returning in 2024, and that should help this unit have another dominant fall.