With a year under his belt in the Big Ten, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is ready to develop a new crop of players under his scheme to be even better than he was in 2024:
There was some uncertainty after the 2024 season surrounding the future of Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. After taking interviews with NFL teams, Martindale ultimately returned to Ann Arbor.
Martindale’s resume does not need reintroduction. Holding a number of different responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball across every level in football, he is well known for his aggressive, yet tactical approach. While the end result in 2024 was not what the coaches or players were hoping for, key wins over Ohio State and Alabama are a great stepping stone for what Martindale can offer this season, especially when you consider how many players the Wolverines are returning and who they have brought in as replacements.
What can we expect to see from Martindale’s defense in 2025?
The Numbers
Martindale’s first few games with Michigan last season showcased many bumps in the road. Throughout the first 10 games of the regular season, the Wolverines gave up an average of 300 yards per game, including 160 yards on the ground and 140 yards through the air.
With injuries, a rotating door in the secondary and a stagnant Michigan offense, Martindale had to change something up before Michigan walked into Columbus. After giving up 396 yards the week before to Northwestern, the Wolverines emptied the playbook against the Buckeyes, holding them to 65 passing yards, 172 rushing yards on 42 carries, and 35 total receiving yards for the nation’s best receiver, Jeremiah Smith.
Martindale’s defense came to play, and the Wolverines shocked the nation as three-touchdown underdogs. The win not only put the Wolverines back on the map, but it also earned them a date with the Alabama Crimson Tide in bowl season.
With the world counting out Michigan once again, Martindale put together another defensive masterclass, holding quarterback Jalen Milroe to 75 passing yards, and Alabama’s rushing attack put together just 115 rushing yards on 51 carries. The defense showed up and stood on business against two of the best programs in the country.
The Players
With Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Josaiah Stewart all being taken in the NFL Draft , new and returning faces alike will need to step up in their absence.
According to Martindale, that will not be an issue in 2025.
The first reason being the entire defensive staff is back. Continuity at any level in football is almost unheard of, so with an entire staff returning, the coaches will have every opportunity to get the most of their players.
While the defense had to plug a ton of holes due to injuries in 2024, Martindale and Moore set out to avoid that problem in 2025, retaining their guys lower on the depth chart, bringing in top talent from the transfer portal and getting commitments from some of the best potential in high school.
The first name that comes to mind when thinking about who will carry the torch is Rayshaun Benny. Entering Year 5 at Michigan, he is finally set to lead the Wolverines’ defensive line. He has patiently waited behind some of the best talent to go through Michigan. Benny will finally have his chance to flash.
In only half of the defensive snaps last season, Benny compiled 29 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and two deflected passes. His ability to disrupt both the run and the pass will be on full display this fall.
Another name that could flourish is linebacker Jaishawn Barham, a linebacker who will also be utilized as an edge rusher at times.
“I think what we need to do for him is practice him more on the edge than what we did last year, but still use him in the same ways that we have,” Martindale said in the spring .
The frontline stars aren’t the only ones Martindale is keeping an eye on. At all three levels of the defense, Michigan has put together notable depth that could play a large factor as the Wolverines get late into the season. Between Dominic Nichols and Cameron Brandt on the edge, Jimmy Rolder, Jaydon Hood and Cole Sullivan at linebacker, and Jo’Ziah Edmond, Shamari Earls, Mason Curtis, and Jaden Mangham in the secondary, Michigan’s two-deep could be even better this fall.
Scheme
The final factor that will dictate Martindale’s impact in 2025 will be the evolution of his scheme. Martindale showed in 2024 that his defensive scheme resembled what Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter showed in the previous two seasons — a base 3-4 look with plenty of blitzes from linebackers and guys in the secondary.
However, Martindale’s overall blitz rate was down for half the year, and the defense was giving up more than 300 yards per game for most of the season. With guys playing out of position and everyone’s snap count appearing to be way higher than it was in previous seasons, Martindale was making a lot of decisions on the fly, arguably impacting the strategies he came into each game with.
Against Ohio State and Alabama, however, he disguised blitzes really well, and both opposing quarterbacks had their worst start of the season against Michigan.
With a returning coaching staff, ample time to develop players with extreme upside and a mastermind behind the defensive packages, there should be a lot to get excited about in 2025 under Martindale’s command.