The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 DEFENSIVE BACKS BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan proved itself as one of the best secondaries in the coun- try down the stretch in 2023 in games against Ohio State, Alabama and Wash- ington en route to winning the national championship. All three teams featured no shortage of NFL-caliber playmakers, and U-M came out on the winning end in each battle during its perfect season. While the leadership will be different at the top with Lamar Morgan coaching the group and Wink Martindale call- ing the defense, many of the forces that helped win it all return to a team that will see a ton of high-octane offenses in 2024. Michigan's defensive back group is headlined by former five-star recruit Will Johnson, who has established himself as one of the best corners in the country through two seasons in college football. He had 4 interceptions and 27 tackles a year ago. Talent evalu- ators have tabbed Johnson as a potential top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, with his playmaking ability and athleticism drawing high marks. Despite the coaching change, John- son's camp shot down all rumors that he could be had in the transfer portal, reaf- firming his commitment to Ann Arbor and being a leader on Sherrone Moore's squad. Two of the bigger wins of the offsea- son were the decisions of safety duo Rod Moore (38 tackles, 2 interceptions) and Makari Paige (41 tackles) to run it back for one more year. The two bring a combined 48 starts between them to a secondary that will need to backfill the leadership lost with Mike Sainristil's graduation. Moore, in particular, is a player to watch, both from a health and role standpoint. He worked through an in- jury early in the 2023 campaign and did not look like himself until the stretch run, where he made the game-sealing interception against Ohio State and played some of his best ball in the Col- lege Football Playoff. Moore could potentially slide into Sainristil's role in the nickel, play his traditional safety position or handle a combination of both. He is a potential captain and will be a key player on de- fense. The battle for snaps at the nickel should feature no shortage of names, from Moore to classmate Ja'Den McBur- rows, junior Zeke Berry and others. Berry may also compete with Quinten Johnson, back for a sixth season at Michigan, for a spot in the safety rotation after Keon Sabb's transfer to Alabama. Similar to last year, there will be a fight for the cornerback job on the other side of Johnson. McBurrows might be the favorite there as spring camp opens, but sophomores DJ Waller Jr. and Jyaire Hill will have a say. It is also possible that U-M will look to the transfer portal after the spring to add talent, much like it did with Josh Wallace from UMass last summer. Wallace will not be easy to replace af- ter posting an 86.5 overall grade on Pro Football Focus (23rd in the nation). The cornerback was the team's No. 2-graded defender last year behind only defensive tackle Mason Graham (90.0). Morgan has a veteran group to work with after spending the last two sea- sons coordinating the defense at Loui- siana Lafayette. He also comes with an endorsement from outgoing defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, with whom he worked at Vanderbilt as his cornerbacks coach in 2021. How Michigan's defen- sive backs are deployed in 2024 remains to be seen, but not a whole lot needs to change with a plethora of contributors back from one of the best defenses in the history of college football. ❑ Will Johnson And Veteran Safeties Lead The Way Johnson (2) is coming off a first-team All-Big Ten season as U-M's lockdown cornerback, and he will be flanked at safety by senior Rod Moore (9) and graduate Makari Paige (7). PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER ❱ AT A GLANCE Position Coach: Lamar Morgan (first season) Returning Starters: Will Johnson (Jr.; 16 career starts), Rod Moore (Sr.; 28), Makari Paige (Gr.; 20) Departing Starters: Josh Wallace (11), Mike Sainristil (36) Contenders To Star t: Ja'Den McBurrows (Sr.), DJ Waller Jr. (So.), Jyaire Hill (So.), Quinten Johnson (Gr.; 1), Zeke Berry (Jr.) Top Reserves: Cristian Dixon (Sr.), Brandyn Hillman (So.), Kody Jones (Jr.), Myles Pollard (Jr.) Newcomers: Jo'Ziah Edmond (Fr.), Jeremiah Lowe (Fr.), Jacob Oden (Fr.)