The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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D E F E N S I V E B A C K S THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 109 STARTERS ★★★ ★★★ ½ This is a tough one, without knowing how veteran Rod Moore will return to action. If he's right, Michigan's starting secondary (and its star count here) moves up. If not, the Wolverines will have some questions to answer in terms of communication, ma- turity and leadership. They feature cor- nerbacks in Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill who could be ready to take the next big step, along with young safeties like Mason Curtis, who might emerge as a force, and Brandyn Hillman, the big hitter looking to become known as an all-around asset. This secondary will be good, without much question. Whether it's great depends on de- velopment, the heat Michigan's front seven puts on opposing quarterbacks, and Moore. DEPTH ★★★★ ★★★★ Depth shouldn't be a big issue here, be- cause of the experience players have been given at moving around and playing several spots in the secondary. And with Shamari Earls and the portal newcomers, the Wolver- ines certainly added significantly to the stock- pile. Now it's about getting the newcomers fully acclimated and ready to help as much as possible, and as soon as late August. OVERALL ★★★ ★★★ ½ Again, this hinges in part on Moore's re- turn, along with the emergence of several other potential standouts. This crew will benefit from a front seven sure to put op- posing offenses in uncomfortable positions. They have to take full advantage, and make plays when balls get pressured out of the QB's hands. If Michigan is to challenge for a Big Ten championship and be in the run- ning for a College Football Playoff spot, its defense has to be dominating — at all three levels. POSITION COACH Defensive pass game coordinator and de- fensive backs coach LaMar Morgan is entering his second season in Ann Arbor and 14th in coaching. In 2024, Morgan mentored cornerbacks Will Johnson and Zeke Berry, two honorable mention All-Big Ten selections. Johnson was chosen No. 47 overall in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2025 NFL Draft. U-M hired Morgan from Louisiana, where he spent the 2022-23 seasons as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. The stint was his second with the program after coach- ing the team's cornerbacks in 2019-20. In all four of Morgan's seasons on staff, the Louisiana secondary reached double-digit interceptions (10, 16, 15, 13), ranking third nationally in 2020 and top-25 in the 2022-23 seasons. Morgan spent the 2021 season working with former U-M defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at Vanderbilt, which is where he got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant in 2012-13. The Commodores more than dou- bled their interception output from 2019-20 (6) to 2021 (13), ranking 33rd in the country. Other stops in Morgan's career include West- ern Carolina (2014-15), Louisiana Monroe (2016-17) and Houston (2018). RETURNING PLAYERS ZEKE BERRY • CB Sr. • Pittsburg, Calif. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 196 • Played in all 13 contests with 12 starts and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024. • Began the year as Michigan's nickel back but moved to outside corner in the back half of the season. • Totaled 37 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, 2 interceptions, 9 pass breakups and 2 quar- terback hurries. • Appeared in 11 games in 2023, mostly on special teams, making 3 total tackles. • Played in two games as a freshman in 2022, recording 1 tackle for loss and keeping his redshirt intact. • Named an All-American Bowl honoree and Defensive Player of the Year by the bowl. • Participated in the Polynesian Bowl follow- ing his senior campaign. • First-team selection on the MaxPreps Cali- fornia All-State team as a senior and a sec- ond-team honoree as a junior. • Made 35 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles as a senior. • Listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 146 overall player and 11th-best safety nation- ally, and the No. 10 prospect in California by the On3 Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2022 2/0 1 1 0 0 2023 11/0 3 0 0 0 2024 13/12 37 2.5 9 2 Total 26/12 41 3.5 9 2 MASON CURTIS • S So. • Nashville, Tenn. Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 200 • Appeared in nine games as a freshman, registering 8 tackles, including 1 for loss, and his first career intercep- tion, which came against Northwestern. • Switched from edge rusher (signee) to line- backer (spring 2024) to safety (2024 sea- son) in his first calendar year with the U-M program. • Graduate of Ensworth High School, totaling 31 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 4 passes de- fended, 4 fumble recoveries and 2 defensive touchdowns as a senior. • Also lettered in basketball. • On3 Industry Ranking of four stars, No. 322 player and 26th-ranked linebacker nation- ally, and ninth-best player in Tennessee. JO'ZIAH EDMOND • CB So. • Indianapolis Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 180 • Saw action in eight games as a freshman, making 2 tackles in 2024. • Attended NorthWood High, helping his school reach the 2023 Class 4A state title game with a 12-2 record. • A 2023 Indiana Football Coaches Associa- tion All-State selection and IndyStar Top 50 All-State defensive honoree. • Two-way prep player, making 64 tackles with 5 interceptions and a forced fumble, along with 65 catches for 505 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior, and 204 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 26 carries. • Transferred to NorthWood after three sea- son at Warren Central. • On3 Industry Ranking of four stars, No. 123 player and No. 18 cornerback in the country, and No. 2 player in Indiana. JYAIRE HILL • CB Jr. • Kankakee, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 185 • Saw time in 12 outings with nine starts in 2024, gener- ating 35 tackles with 5.5 for loss and 1 sack, 9 pass breakups and 1 interception. His first career pick came against Minnesota. • Played in four games as a freshman in 2023, It's been a lot on him, but he's been push- ing through. He's a tough kid and asks all the right questions. He's trying to get bet- ter each and every day. It's a lot on him, but he has a lot of confidence in himself. "He also doesn't want to let anybody down. He doesn't want to let us down, doesn't want to let the head coach down, doesn't want to let Michigan down. He just puts a lot of pressure on himself, which is a good trait, if he can balance it all." Morgan is excited about the season and the overall defense as well. There are questions, no doubt. But there are an- swers working hard to reveal themselves, every day. ❑ PRESEASON ANALYSIS