Despite the incredibly high likelihood that Michigan’s defense will lose a number of star players to the NFL Draft, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is confident the Wolverines will be able to bounce back from the roster turnover:
It’s no secret the Michigan Wolverines’ defense this season is a considerable step down from last year’s dominant unit. Given the Wolverines boasted the most lethal defense in the country in 2023, there was nowhere to go but down.
Adding in the fact that Michigan lost six starters in Mike Sainristil, Junior Colson, Michael Barrett, Kris Jenkins, Jaylen Harrell and Josh Wallace, sustaining its defensive dominance was a tall task. The Wolverines have struggled to do so in 2024, falling short of what many expected out of them.
Despite these struggles, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has been pleased overall with how his unit has performed, for the most part, this year.
“I think that obviously there are things that we can do better, but I think that there’s things that we’ve improved on, sudden change defense, things like that throughout the year,” Martindale told the media this week. “I’m proud of the guys we have.”
While there’s talent on the roster and a lot to be proud of, that hasn’t translated into results. Last season, Michigan ranked first in the nation in points allowed, yards allowed, and first downs allowed per game. This year, the Wolverines rank 53rd, 49th and 57th in those statistics, respectively.
Nine games in, the defense has found the solution to its problems. Based on the underwhelming results thus far, it doesn’t appear the Wolverines have a quick fix — or any fix at all — for the lost personnel from last season.
Despite the departures, Michigan still has a lot of talent on defense. The Wolverines have three players — or four, depending on where you’re looking — projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft . Between cornerback Will Johnson, defensive lineman Mason Graham, defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, and edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, Michigan’s defense has star power.
The silver lining to losing six of their starters from last year was the fact the Wolverines still had Johnson, Graham, Grant and Stewart to lead the defense. Next year, Michigan won’t have most of, if not all four, those stars to fall back on.
Still, Martindale isn’t stressing about the state of the defense for next year or the inevitable roster turnover.
“I think that what gives me the confidence is watching our position coaches, which … I think they’re the best in the country not only in coaching their positions but in recruiting,” Martindale said. “I think that we’re gonna have to attack this offseason as hard as we can to turn some spots around, to turn some spots over. It’ll be a nice thing to see how it plays out.”
Next season’s defense isn’t Michigan’s priority now with three games still left in 2024, but it is something that will be a glaring question mark in the not-so-distant future. Seeing how rocky this season has been for the Wolverines’ defense, in the wake of losing key pieces, paints a picture of what Michigan may face again next season.
But unlike this year, the Wolverines won’t have dominant, experienced leaders to pave the way in 2025. That will put the defense in an especially difficult and tumultuous position for next year.
According to Martindale, though, that won’t be the case. When asked if there can be a quick fix to the impending turnover, Martindale didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“Oh yeah, without a doubt.”
Martindale may be confident about the defense’s ability to bounce back and swiftly excel, but this season’s performance doesn’t exactly support that outlook. In his first season as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, it’s tough to instantly put all the pieces together. But with the roster turnover that’s on the way, the Wolverines won’t just need to put the pieces together — they will need to find the pieces as well.