The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
[ D E F E N S I V E B A C K S ] 106 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Corner Question Secondary Looks Strong, Pending A Next Man Up BY JOHN BORTON M ichigan's secondary appears ready for a rock-solid season behind an outstanding front. All questions aren't answered yet, though, making the jump from good to great one that lingers into the fall. The Wolverines feature a superior young talent in sophomore cornerback Will Johnson, who put an exclamation point on a growth-year freshman sea- son with 2 interceptions in the Big Ten Championship Game. U-M's safeties — senior Makari Paige and junior Rod Moore — stood strong in the Big Ten's toughest venues, including Columbus. Grad nickel back Mike Sainristil ex- ecuted one of the signature plays of the season in Michigan's 45-23 win at Ohio State, breaking up a potential touch- down pass in the end zone. That puts aces in four of the five start- ing spots for the two-time defending Big Ten champions. The fifth position remains a wild card. Hugely talented sophomore Amor- ion Walker grabbed the early advantage in the second cornerback sweepstakes early in spring ball. When the head coach steps up publicly in your corner, you've got something going on. "I consider him a starter right now," Harbaugh said in February. "Based on the first two practices." Not everything gets determined on the first two practices, or for that matter, by the spring game, which featured some struggles by Walker. He'll no doubt go into the fall as a top contender for the job. But the door remains c ra c ke d o p e n fo r someone like ju- n i o r J a ' D e n McBurrows, w h o m a d e his biggest headlines of 2022 getting assaulted in the Michigan Stadium tunnel by Spar- tans after U-M's resounding win. Mc- Burrows has a chance to be known for bigger and better things, and soon. Michigan's 2023 secondary will make its own name, just like the U-M defense as a whole. How the Wolverines sort out the secondary, building depth behind the starters, affects both. Corner Questions Johnson looks ready for a monster second season in a winged helmet, de- spite missing spring practice with an unspecified injury. He and Michigan coaches insist he'll be good by fall and build on a strong freshman season. The former five-star recruit played in all 14 Michigan games as a rookie, mak- ing 27 tackles with 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. Multiple entities named him a Freshman All-American, includ- ing Pro Football Focus. Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made it clear on U-M's "In The Trenches" podcast that he's looking for big results in Johnson's second time around. "I'm so proud of Will and the process that he took throughout the season last year and how he evolved," Minter ob- served. "We knew he was really talented. QUICK FACTS Position Coaches: Steve Clinkscale (3rd year at U-M), Jay Harbaugh (2nd coaching safeties, 9th overall) Returning Starters: Rod Moore (17 career starts), Mike Sainristil (11 at DB), Makari Paige (5), Will Johnson (5) Departing Starters: Gemon Green (24), DJ Turner (22), R.J. Moten (15) Projected New Starter: Amorion Walker Top Reserves: Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, Quinten John- son, Ja'Den McBurrows, Myles Pollard, Keon Sabb Wait Until 2024: Kody Jones Newcomers: Hill, Cameron Calhoun, Brandyn Hill- man, DJ Waller Jr. Moved In: Josh Wallace (33 at UMass) Moved Out: Moten (Florida), Damani Dent (un- known) Rookie Impact: Hill Most Improved Player: Berry Best Pro Prospect: Will Johnson Safety Makari Paige, a Big Ten hon- orable mention performer, racked up 41 tackles, 1 sack, 1 intercep- tion (at Ohio State), 2 pass break- ups and a quarterback hurry last fall. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL