Despite the Wolverines returning one of the nation’s top units, a few question marks could be the difference between good and great.
The 2024 Michigan spring game is nearly upon us! Finally (FINALLY!) we will get our first glimpse into the Sherrone Moore era and Team 145. Although the glorified scrimmage will not give all of the answers, it will provide some insight into what this team could look like in the fall.
Most of those learnings will come on the offensive side of the ball which is littered with question marks, but the defense is not without its unknowns. The Michigan Wolverines will again feature one of the best defenses in the country; however, there is a massive difference between being one of the best and being the best for the second straight year.
Here are three things to watch on the defensive side of the ball in this year’s spring game.
Every corner not named Will Johnson
Michigan’s secondary has some massive holes to fill. Following the departures of Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace to the NFL Draft , the transfer of Keon Sabb to Alabama, and the injury to Rod Moore, the Wolverines are going to look vastly different on the backend this season.
Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson — two names you are familiar with — will presumably occupy both safety positions unless new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale gets wonky with alignment and versatility. The question remains though, who starts at nickel and boundary corner opposite Will Johnson?
Names to watch (and there are several): Ja’Den McBurrows, D.J. Waller, Keshaun Harris, Brandyn Hillman, Zeke Berry, and Jyaire Hill. Harris and McBurrows are the veterans of the group and possess the most experience at boundary and nickel, respectively. Berry is an electric junior who has been biding his time behind some of the best to ever wear the maize and blue. Waller, Hillman, and Hill are a trio of sophomores who are each equipped with the skills necessary to usurp the elder statesmen.
The spring game will not determine who wins the positional race. But as we saw last year with Amorion Walker, it can determine who loses it.
Transfer LB Jaishawn Barham
It is impossible to watch Maryland transfer linebacker Jaishawn Barham and not see flashes of former Michigan linebacker Devin Bush. Similar to Bush, Barham is a heat-seeking missile whose impact will presumably only be accelerated in Martindale’s scheme.
Alongside top returning tackler linebacker Ernest Hausmann, Barham should have the freedom to patrol and make plays in coverage and in the backfield similar to the winningest player in Michigan history Michael Barrett. But before we build the statue, it starts on Saturday. Will Barham begin his path to greatness at the spring game with a thunderous performance as Bush did in 2017?
Defensive line depth
In the last three years, the national championship has been won by the team with the best defensive line. If that trend holds in 2024, Michigan players will need to make room for another ring.
Across the front, the lineup of Derrick Moore, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Josaiah Stewart is unrivaled in its ability to take over games. However, what separated the unit last year from its peers was depth. In order to keep these top four game wreckers fresh, the Wolverines will need to find quality rotational players who can mitigate any drop-off from the starters.
In theory, Michigan will need to find four rotational players (two tackles, two edges) who can work into the lineup at any point. Rayshaun Benny is already an established name along the interior, so that leaves one tackle spot for either Enow Etta, Cam Brandt, or Trey Pierce to fill. To expedite this competition, Michigan has already begun reaching out to transfers as well. Between the potential transfers and rising sophomores, Michigan should be solid on the inside. However, the rotational edge competition is wide open.
T.J. Guy, Kechaun Bennett, and Aymeric Koumba appear to be the leaders in the clubhouse for the two two-deep spots, and if that doesn’t inspire confidence, you are not alone. Guy has been generating buzz this offseason and frankly has been since his freshman season in 2021, but the latter two are largely unknown quantities. Don’t be surprised if Michigan looks to bolster this position with a transfer as well.
Before any transfer joins, however, these depth pieces will have a chance to stake their claim to an expanded role on the nation’s best defensive front.