rostering
2022 offseason
Roll it back. [Patrick Barron]

End of Year Roster Overview: Defense & Special Teams Comment Count

Seth January 10th, 2022 at 9:00 AM

Part II here was split off from Part I: The Offense because the defensive attrition was coming fast and furious. Since that post Villari and Filiaga have entered the portal. As for the defense/special teams:

Michigan also lost DL coach Shaun Nua to the same job at USC.

I’m expecting Ross and Moody at least to depart for the pros, and we’re probably not done with attrition from positions where younger guys have passed older ones. Hinton was a surprise, but if a former five-star who had a breakout season leaving after three years is your only shock of the offseason, that’s a good offseason.

Let’s play the feud.

[After THE JUMP]

DEFENSIVE LINE

After a year to get a better handle on how Macdonald organizes his depth chart, I’m going to break this into nose, tackle, and two types of “OLB,” though there are still variants and shades, and guys from one depth chart often appear on the next one.

NOSE GUARD

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More of this. [Patrick Barron]

 

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
Mazi Smith So/Sr 14 14 544   14 21 602
Donovan Jeter Sr/6th 0 14 287   4 37 688
Jess Speight Sr/6th 0 12 96   1 26 200
Jack Stewart So/Sr 0 0 0   0 0 0
Ikechukwu Iwunnah Fr/So 0 0 0   0 0 0
Kenneth Grant Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Departures: Jordan Whittley and deep backup Brown transfer walk-on Elijah Pierre ran out of eligibility. I’ll cover Hinton in the next section. Walk-on Jess Speight could return for a sixth year if he’s so inclined. Donovan Jeter is going into a 6th year when it was hard to hang onto him several times in the past, but he’s also behind on the development curve and wouldn’t be an NFL prospect at this stage. He’s also more of an off-tackle, but it’ll be some time before Michigan has a true nose after Don Brown scoffed at the archetype, and Jeter strung some games together late in 2021 that portend a more than functional final run if he wants to make one.

Re: Whittley, I think Ira (on WTKA) and one other person around the program was saying that he has another year of eligibility but I don’t see how. The Whittley Journey:

  • 2014: Committed to San Jose State as a 6'2/225 RB, but didn't qualify and took a year off.
  • 2015: Didn't play at Laney College (Medshirt).
  • 2016: Didn't play at Laney College (Medshirt).
  • 2017: (Freshman) Played a full season at Laney College.
  • 2018: (Sophomore) Played a full season at Laney College.
  • 2019: (Junior) Transferred to Oregon State and played in 14 games, starting one.
  • 2020: Did not play because of a heart tumor. Also COVID anyways.
  • 2021: (Senior) Played in 8 games for Michigan.

None of this is in question—his bio specifically mentions the NCAA granting him redshirt junior status in 2019—so it would be weird if they found another year of eligibility for the guy. Maybe they confused his 2019 season for 2020?

Newcomers: 3.5* Kenneth Grant, a “Mammoth” who can move surprisingly well. Probably not an immediate impact guy, but seems like a Year 2 contributor who’s a monster as a junior and senior.

2022 Starter(s): Mazi Smith, unless he’s thinking of following Hinton out the door? I wasn’t expecting either to leave, and the charting said Smith was clearly the superior of the pair. Smith also took a redshirt and came from further back last year; losing him with three years of eligibility left would be a tragedy, but I’d expect 2022 to be his last year.

What’s in the oven? Nothing that’s expected to be ready yet, but you can stick a toothpick in Ike Iwunnah or OL refugee Jack Stewart or one of the DTs below to see—just need one to hold his shape without deflating into goo.

It’s a good offseason if: Nobody else leaves and the DT group hulks up and is so overflowing with guys who need to be on the field that a Jenkins or Benny or Rooks or Graham is added to the nose rotation. We start hearing nice things about the projects and/or the freshman that resolves into playing them in role they used Whittley in (goal line or short yardage).

It’s a bad offseason if: Attrition leaves us with Smith and air (or worse: just air) until Kenneth Grant or Ike Iwunnah can be brought up to speed. The thing about Hinton is he could be used at nose when Smith needed a breather. When Michigan went to Speight/Jeter as their two DTs, Speight usually got moved. If they do lose Smith or Jeter now they’ll probably explore the portal again.

Other guys: Jack Stewart moved over last year from offensive line and we haven’t heard a peep from him since, but he’s got three more years of eligibility and one year at DT he gets a pass until 2023. Ditto 2020 late pickup Ike Iwunnah, an interesting prospect but one that arrived sushi raw. Neither saw the field this season.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

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Michigan’s best hope for a new Mo Hurst is to finish the Jenkins build. [Bryan Fuller]

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
Kris Jenkins So/Jr 4 14 175   4 15 178
Julius Welschof Jr/5th 1 14 180   1 21 263
Rayshaun Benny Fr/So 0 3 16   0 3 16
George Rooks Fr/So 0 3 9   0 3 9
Joey George Jr/5th 0 8 32   0 9 33
Dominick Giudice Fr/So 0 2 1   0 2 1
Mason Graham Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Departures: Chris Hinton is a big loss. He started every game and was on the field more than any other DT on the roster (593 snaps). It’s a major bummer that his blowup season, if it comes, will be in the NFL.

Newcomers: Mason Graham sounds what you get if you combine Ben Mason with Graham Glasgow, IE Ryan Glasgow. A lot of people seem to think he can be an instant contributor, though it’s more likely he needs a Rayshaun Benny year first.

2022 Starter(s): This is really 1.5 positions. The next guy on the overall DT depth chart is Donovan Jeter, but Kris Jenkins has a good shot of passing the 6th year senior (if he even returns). For their 5-man fronts, Julius Welschof played a lot of downs this year, and Mike Morris was effective as an inside-outside swingman, but Jenkins-Smith-Jeter is the first team.

What’s in the oven? Rayshaun Benny. We are reading way too much into recruiting hype and a handful of snaps, but the chatter is he was chomping at the bit late this year.

It’s a good offseason if: The kids arrive. Jenkins is on the path and just needs a big offseason, and some more bigness, to give Michigan the pass-rusher they’ve not had since Hurst here. Benny may be another year off from that, but hype about him is gold.

It’s a bad offseason if: We’re going into fall with walk-ons again. Last year’s talk of Joey George and Elijah Pierre did not inspire confidence, and turned out to be B.S. With Hinton gone they really need Jenkins to hit to bridge the gap to the Benny era.

Other guys: George Rooks showed he needs another year, which was the talk when he committed. Giudice is still an outside guy though I still project him here down the line. Welschof is intriguing as a pass-rushing DT but I don’t know if he can add enough bulk to be the full-time off-tackle in the nickel setup. He did make it work this year, but not with strength.

LINEBACKER

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The pass rush lost its punch when Upshaw came in for Ojabo [Barron]

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (END)

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
Taylor Upshaw Jr/5th 0 12 207   2 24 450
Jaylen Harrell So/Jr 3 14 215   3 18 219
Michael Morris So/Sr 4 14 360   4 15 365
Braiden McGregor So/Jr 0 9 62   0 9 62
TJ Guy Fr/So 0 2 11   0 2 11
Kechaun Bennett Fr/So 0 1 0   0 1 0
Gabe Newburg So/Sr 0 0 0   0 4 45
Derrick Moore Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Departures: Aidan Hutchinson, only one of the greatest players in Michigan football history, and David Ojabo, who’s headed for the NFL 1st round.

Newcomers: Derrick Moore was a big-time late add who impressed at the All-American Bowl. Michigan may also look to the transfer portal here.

2022 Starter(s): Open. Taylor Upshaw (DE), Jaylen Harrell (DE/LB) and Michael Morris (DE/DT) have played the most, with Morris showing and Harrell flashing greater than replacement value.

What’s in the oven? Braiden McGregor was set back a year by injury but is the most Hutchinson of the guys on campus. Guy and Bennett redshirted but could sophomore leap into big roles.

It’s a good offseason if: Ideally two of McGregor, Guy, and Bennett pop, and pass Upshaw/Harrell. The massive downgrade from the starters to their shared backup is the reason this position is nervous and going into Year 5 his upside isn’t what it was. Harrell and Morris are tweeners and neither seems to have to edge bending to be the pass rusher they need, though both—especially Morris—will be useful.

It’s a bad offseason if: They’re talking like Upshaw is the unquestioned leader and everyone else is fighting for snaps, without saying Upshaw has taken a big leap from last season.

Other guys: Gabe Newburg got some hype at some point then didn’t appear in a game this year.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

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They got Colson going really fast; now they need to get Colson going really fast in the right direction. [Barron]

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
Junior Colson So/So 7 14 521   7 14 521
Nikhai Hill-Green So/Jr 6 14 370   6 17 378
Kalel Mullings So/Jr 0 13 92   0 19 105
Jaydon Hood Fr/So 0 1 15   0 1 15
Tyler McLaurin Fr/So 0 1 2   0 1 2
Jimmy Rolder Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a
Deuce Spurlock Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a
Micah Pollard Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Note: I’m handling the hybrids separately.

Departures: I’m 95% certain Ross is done (update: he's gone) and thought I would get this posted after the announcement game. It hasn’t yet so he’s still on the list, faintly.

Newcomers: Chicago late riser Jimmy Rolder is a Ben Gedeon clone who’s probably the only one ready to play immediately. Spurlock is an athlete who needs time to grow, and Pollard is a Harrell type who could fit at OLB or ILB, and probably needs a few years before we know which.

2022 Starter(s): Barring a surprise Ross return, this seems to be Junior Colson and Nikhai Hill-Green, who both played a ton next to Ross last year. Colson has a ton of talent but was still sushi raw by the end of 2021; how much he figures things out over the offseason is the ceiling on this group. NHG did seem to figure things out but isn’t the raw athlete that Colson is. Mullings looked usable, and pretty fast, when Ross got dinged for a game.

What’s in the oven? Mullings has a shot to earn a bigger role, and Jaydon Hood is another Doom Animal type who needed some development. You’d like to see at least one of them seize a rotation spot.

It’s a good offseason if: They’re raving about Colson and Hill-Green, and talking about how Mullings and/or Hood is a major find.

It’s a bad offseason if: They’re talking about depth issues and going on about Colson like he hasn’t changed.

Other guys: Tyler McLaurin and Hood might go here too since both are coming off of redshirt seasons and were expected to need a couple to fill out before they’re playable.

NICKEL/HYBRID LINEBACKER

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
Michael Barrett Jr/5th 1 14 187   7 33 648
Joey Velazquez So/Sr 0 6 11   0 6 11
Keon Sabb Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

I’m treating this separately because Barrett carved out a specific role in addition to Dax Hill’s nickel position that seems like it will only become more useful in the future.

Departures: Anthony Solomon is in the portal, and Daxton Hill, who played “nickel” when he wasn’t at safety, went to the NFL draft.

Newcomers: Keon Sabb is a 5-star, RB-shaped safety who seems like a natural fit for the role Barrett and Hill shared.

2022 Starter(s): The job is Barrett’s to lose after a strong finish to the season.

What’s in the oven? There was some buzz about Velazquez last spring, and not just from the baseball team. Depending on where they use Sabb, Velazquez could factor in here or at linebacker.

It’s a good offseason if: Barrett expands the role, alleviating some of the burden on the OLB/DE guys because he can perform some of those things. Sabb gets the Andrel Anthony “wow this guy is for real!” treatment from practice observers.

It’s a bad offseason if: They’re talking about Barrett as a linebacker and not mentioning anybody else here.

Other guys: The safety depth chart is likely to factor here. Cade Kolesar was the next safety and could bulk up into a full-time hybrid if Barrett is indeed moved into an ILB role. Rod Moore was the guy behind Dax here and could be a nickel/SS like Hill was if they have three safeties they’d rather have on the field. Zeke Berry has a lot of Peppers to his game, as does Jordan Morant, and freshman Kody Jones could give them a Blake Countess-style cover guy here as well.

SECONDARY

image
A great scene in Hamilton. [Barron]

SAFETY

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
RJ Moten So/Jr 5 14 499   5 15 499
Rod Moore So/So 4 11 358   4 11 358
Makari Paige So/Jr 0 9 68   0 15 186
Caden Kolesar So/Sr 0 14 63   0 22 64
Jordan Morant So/Jr 0 8 8   0 8 8
Zeke Berry Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a
Damani Dent Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Departures: Daxton Hill (early NFL) and Brad Hawkins (out of eligibility) were the two guys on 4-3 or 5-2 looks, and two of the three guys in nickel formations.

Newcomers: Zeke Berry and Damani Dent, plus Keon Sabb, make for an excellent class, and that was needed since they didn’t redshirt anybody last year. I mentioned Berry has some Peppers, but not that he was recently named the defensive MVP of the All-American bowl, while Dent is probably a slam dunk for the class sleeper, and then Sabb might factor in here immediately as well.

2022 Starter(s): The first crack will of course go to Rod Moore and RJ Moten. Moore passed Moten as the third safety in 2021 and seems poised to become a fixture in the Michigan secondary for years to come. Moten was mostly solid except for a few big bad moments and two critical INT drops. The third job is going to be an all-out war involving the entire secondary.

What’s in the oven? Moore was taken out early, but those paying attention late might have seen Makari Paige was quietly being groomed for Hawkins’s job. Jordan Morant had screws in his ankle come out just before last season, so a full healthy offseason could see him start to climb towards a ridiculous ceiling.

It’s a good offseason if: They’re talking about Kolesar on special teams and maybe bulking him up to linebacker because the younger guys have to get on the field. Also if one of the above fills the Dax role, since that would mean they want three of these guys on the field.

It’s a bad offseason if: We get a lot of talk about how hard this position is to pick up so don’t expect to see the freshmen, and nothing about Morant, and only Moten and Moore are coming up frequently.

Other guys: They can’t all play. Paige, Kolesar, Morant, and Moten all have the same eligibility as Moore, who’s really the only guy 100% certain to be on the field next year. If they fall behind the freshmen they’re toast.

CORNERBACK

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Turner is still going to get flagged for his aggressive play, because he’s one of Those Guys. [Barron]

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Starts GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
DJ Turner So/Sr 8 14 620   8 22 632
Gemon Green Jr/5th 6 12 376   12 29 862
Ja'Den McBurrows Fr/So 0 4 29   0 4 29
Keshaun Harris So/Sr 0 12 47   0 12 47
German Green Jr/5th 0 14 6   0 21 6
Jalen Perry So/Sr 0 8 20   0 11 51
Quinten Johnson So/Sr 0 13 9   0 15 9
Eamonn Dennis Fr/Jr 0 3 0   0 3 0
William Johnson Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a
Kody Jones Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a
Myles Pollard Fr/Fr n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Departures: So far it’s Vincent Gray, plus deep bench guys George Johnson III, Andre Seldon Jr., and Darion Green-Warren. As you can see from the size of the above chart, we may not yet be done. DJ Turner is draft-eligible, though hasn’t shown any sign of leaving. Gemon Green and his brother German said in December that they plan to come back for their 5th seasons, thought that could change, especially since German has barely played. And everyone who hasn’t been playing, and everyone who has save Turner, probably has to watch their backs for the newcomers.

Newcomers: A major talent infusion. Will Johnson, son of Moeller-era boundary CB Deon Johnson, is a five-star who’s instantly playable at cornerback or safety because of his range, and has the kind of upside to be the first CB off the board in three years. Marlin Jackson played in every game and started the last seven in 2001, and I’d expect similar for WJ. Myles Pollard looks like Channing Stribling, another guy who played pretty much immediately, and Kody Jones is the kind of talent who could factor into the rotation early in his career as well.

2022 Starter(s): Gray’s departure gives the top rotation more clarity. DJ Turner II is CB1. Last year’s opening starter Gemon Green will probably begin the year as #2. The 3rd guy is basically a starter; that’s probably Will Johnson or Ja’Den McBurrows off the bat, with both of those guys closer to Green’s heels than the bench.

What’s in the oven? Ja’Den McBurrows passed the rest of the depth chart as a true freshman and could well pass any of the above next year.

It’s a good offseason if: McBurrows and the freshmen ascend.

It’s a bad offseason if: Pollard and Jones go as quiet as things were around Green-Warren and Seldon, Jalen Perry is a factor, and anyone says the words “Caleb Houstan” metaphorically.

Other guys: Walk-on Keshaun Harris quietly earned a role this season, passing Jalen Perry and holding off McBurrows until the back half of the year. Perry is still around. German Green moved here from safety. Quinten Johnson moved from viper/safety but his one memorable play all year was giving up the fake punt to Iowa that Michigan had scouted. Eamonn Dennis was recruited for his athleticism; if he’s going to surprise it might be down the road, but this year would be the earliest we’d see a sign of it.

SPECIAL TEAMS

  2021 Season   Career
Player Elig '22 Pos GP Snaps   Starts GP Snaps
(Jake Moody)? Sr/5th K 14 81   0 46 81
Brad Robbins Sr/6th P 14 47   0 31 47
William Wagner So/Sr LS 14 ?   20 20 ?
Tommy Doman Fr/So P/K 0 0   0 0 0

Departures: No word yet on Jake Moody, the Groza winner, on whether he wants back for a 5th season; I’m figuring he’s gone. Ditto punter Brad Robbins, who does have a 6th year to spend because of a season lost to injury along the way. (UPDATE: Robbins returns!) I believe their never-used backup K/P Rhett Anderson, a grad transfer from Div III Hampden-Sydney, could get a 6th year since he didn’t record 4 games in 2021.

2022 Starter(s): If one of the starters leaves Doman can probably step in to either role, though putting both on him immediately might be a bit much. William Wagner had no bad snaps, and next year might be forgiven for not being named Cheeseman.

What’s in the oven? If there’s a sure thing in college kickers (there isn’t) it’s Doman, the “6-star.” He was a top-five guy at both positions.

It’s a good offseason if: Moody and Robbins are granted infinite eligibility and sign huge NIL deals with Big Foot.

It’s a bad offseason if: They’re in the transfer market in August.

Other guys: Cole Hussung had a kickoff attempt last year vs NIU. I don’t know anything more about him or Greg Tarr.

Comments

rc15

January 10th, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^

I doubt Seth is worried about Brian thinking he's slacking off after the past year. But I would've scheduled this to post at 8:58am so that my boss thought I was really on top of my work on a Monday morning.

Joined: 01/23/2015

MGoPoints: 12103

GoingBlue

January 10th, 2022 at 9:37 AM ^

I think we will be set up to defend the heavy pass, and spread teams really well next year. We won't face teams looking to get the ball out instantly like Iowa this year. I think we have some talent to hang with the OSU WRs, at least as well as anyone can. 

The problem will be against the run, a lot of our up the middle guys at DL and LB are a bit undersized right now. I would rather give up some extra on the ground than through the air, because that is less likely to lead to explosives, and one negative play can ruin a run game. 

Overall, I think they can maintain their level, just because it will be year 2 in the new program, and the CBs should be a lot better. Losing Hutch sucks, but Ojabo played less than half the snaps in the last 2 games. 

Joined: 01/04/2017

MGoPoints: 1545

M-Dog

January 10th, 2022 at 9:50 AM ^

I am concerned in the sense that the only bad games CJ Stroud had were when he was relentlessly pressured.  If not, he can pick apart any secondary.  

We won't be able to do it on good coverage alone, we will need to deliver some kind of disrupting pass rush, even if it is not quite Hutch / Ojabo level.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257517

AC1997

January 10th, 2022 at 10:44 AM ^

Yep - this time 1000.  Our defense, for as good as the coaches did to address some short-comings from the past, modernize and diversify the scheme, and develop at positions (CB & DT) that had been problem areas.......was propped up all year by having two DEs that gave QBs no time to throw.  Watching Stroud and his WR that will be back next year carve up Utah in the Rose Bowl was terrifying - mostly because Stroud was never touched.  I don't care if Charles Woodson and Ty Law are suiting up for us - if you don't pressure the QB your corners can't cover forever.  

If there was ever a year to unearth another Mike Danna.....this is it!  

From an optimism point of view, I do think they have enough talent to be "solid" and if they can shut down opponent running games consistently that's at least making most teams play with one arm tied behind their back.  Hopefully there's a hidden talent that blows up in the offseason like Ojabo did.  

Joined: 09/19/2008

MGoPoints: 13821

funkifyfl

January 10th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^

The UGA D of this year might be a decent model to copy, in the sense that they were comfortable leaving their secondary isolated and letting the front 7 deal with the run. The clear and obvious strength next year from a talent perspective is in the secondary, with question marks all over the DL and LB levels. But, Colson can cover ground like a mofo and perhaps he can replicate some of the Nakobe Dean/Devin Bush magic. With a front 7 free of most pass responsibilities and assignments, maybe Mac can scheme pressure instead of getting it thru personnel?

 

I'm clearly grasping at straws here--next year's D looks rough from a personnel perspective. Gotta hope the O can put up huge numbers and control games for us.

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 3086

Moleskyn

January 10th, 2022 at 9:45 AM ^

I swear I saw something about Kalel Mullings entering the transfer portal a couple weeks ago, but now I can't find any evidence of that. Am I losing my mind? Is he still with the program?

Joined: 06/28/2010

MGoPoints: 10287

MGolem

January 10th, 2022 at 9:50 AM ^

I am not sure why Harrell is being written off. He started a number of games/began the season in front of Ojabo and he was only a sophomore. Still a lot of room to grow. 

Joined: 10/14/2010

MGoPoints: 13595

FL Lawyer Dude

January 10th, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^

"It’s a good offseason if: Vincent Gray steps back when the competition steps up, and becomes an extra coach who brings the young guys up to speed quickly." 

It's Monday morning and I can barely figure out how to use the internet, but what was this supposed to mean?

Joined: 02/07/2017

MGoPoints: 335

Kilgore Trout

January 10th, 2022 at 10:12 AM ^

Granted it was only a couple snaps, but TJ Guy kind of popped to me in the Maryland game. Obviously tiny sample size, but when something makes you do a quick rewind on a game during garbage time I think that is a good sign. 

Joined: 02/20/2009

MGoPoints: 13178

AC1997

January 10th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^

Unlike the offense, where we are worried about finding a fullback or whether one of our two star RBs can crank out tough yards between the tackles....defense is a little scary.  Obviously we were terrified before 2021 about every position except DE and it worked out really well....so let's hope for a repeat. 

Here's my scale of nervousness heading into the offseason:

1. DE/OLB - I think we have some run stuffers and depth....but no pass rush.  Scary.

(large gap)

2. Safety/Nickel - Losing Hawkins and Hill is a lot.  I think there's depth and raw talent, but the best thing about Hill and Hawkins was the lack of mistakes or blown assignments.  Neither were playmakers really.  With youth comes blown assignments....and that's tough on your defense.  I also don't see an obvious Dax replacement on the roster.  

(small gap)

3. DT - Shocked that Hinton is leaving.  I am more encouraged by the overall depth with the young guys from last year and the progress all of the players made under this coaching staff.  But we will need to be a run-stuffing defense with the lack of pass rush guys and it puts a ton of pressure on this roster to develop.

4. CB - Freshmen corners are scary.  Green + Turner is a solid floor.  Overall should be fine.

5. LB - I think people forget how young Colson and Hill-Green were this year for as much as they played.  

Joined: 09/19/2008

MGoPoints: 13821

smwilliams

January 10th, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^

I mean, the big concern starts and ends with Hutch and Ojabo leaving. A huge part of the defense’s success had to do with those two guys. Really wish Hinton would’ve stuck around as now the Interior Line depth is iffy, but I do think Mazi and Jenkins will be good to very good. And hopefully Benny pops as a rotational piece. 
 

I’m less concerned with safety/nickel although Dax was special, he wasn’t an A+ in coverage. Moten and Moore both saw extensive playing time and they have some talented freshman who could fill the Dax role. It’ll be a slight downgrade, but they need somebody to step up as a pash rusher in spring. 

Joined: 08/20/2010

MGoPoints: 9917

King Tot

January 10th, 2022 at 1:06 PM ^

I think fans are heavily underrating what Hill did for this defense. It seemed (to my novice eyes) that he often blanketed the other teams best players and most the catches he gave up were of the "can't stop a perfect throw/catch variety". Also, he so thoroughly erased the edge that Seth wrote about teams unsuccessful attempts weekly. I think projecting a slight downgrade is pretty optimistic. 

Joined: 11/29/2016

MGoPoints: 19281

LeCheezus

January 10th, 2022 at 11:28 AM ^

I hope Jeter comes back, he may never be a superstar but he looked pretty good down the stretch.  As Seth has mentioned, he does get out leveraged by C/G's that play with good pad level, but destroys guys that just try to reach and grab him.  Well, OSU has been playing 4 tackles for years and MSU literally just tries to grab and hold immediately, so that's probably the two most important games next year he has a lot of value for.

I think too much is being made of Moore jumping ahead of Moten.  Moten was a multi sport guy who was basically a 5 star physically but just hadn't played enough safety for his recruiting ranking to really follow.  He's huge (listed almost same size as NHG on roster), fast, and I think has a very high ceiling - a big jump next year wouldn't surprise me.

Harrell is young and I think more likely he takes a big step next year than a younger guy passing him. 

Will be interesting to see what happens with Morris - does he stay the same size and continue to play LB/DE tweener?  Gain some size and only play hand in dirt as "true" 3 man DE?  Slim down 10-15 lbs like Hutch did 2019-20 and play exclusively on the edge?

Finally, Q Johnson's fake punt thing was Penn State, not Iowa.

Joined: 06/11/2017

MGoPoints: 9855

swn

January 10th, 2022 at 1:35 PM ^

It's certainly not a rosy picture on this side of the ball. Player development, second year scheme acclimation, and transfer portal are the only hopes this unit doesn't take a (possibly sizeable) step back.

Joined: 08/29/2017

MGoPoints: 8105

skatin@the_palace

January 10th, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^

Genuinely think the defense will be alright. Without dominant guys like Hutch and Hill, the goal will be replacing it with “Team Defense” instead of scheming 1:1 matchups with our dudes. The current components that have been laid out should be able to execute every component of the scheme and should allow for a deeper playbook. Let us not forget defense is also about effort, doing your job, and hauling ass to the football. They’ve got more than enough talent to be very good on this side of the ball with the pieces they have it’ll just look a bit different. 

Joined: 09/07/2019

MGoPoints: 3078

outsidethebox

January 10th, 2022 at 3:02 PM ^

I agree. It will be a little different-physically, some positions will be a little better and others a little worse. I actually believe that, with a year into Macdonald's system, the sum total will likely be a bit better. 

The unknown is always concerning. There were no stars at this time last year and this year's defense was circling the MGOBLOG drain. I am expecting MacGregor to be a star, we may well have a "no-fly" secondary by mid-season and the interior DL will actually be better. This is how I choose to see it.  

Joined: 01/23/2017

MGoPoints: 18816

Snazzy_McDazzy

January 10th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^

I don't know how the nickelback position doesn't get filled by a cornerback. The only reason Daxton Hill played the position is because he was basically a cornerback masquerading as a safety. Basically, you need a ton of athleticism at the nickelback position, even if size gets sacrificed, and you need someone who has the willingness of a safety in the run game.

Joined: 02/26/2019

MGoPoints: 895

Modernmanshustl

January 10th, 2022 at 3:25 PM ^

Why is it a bad thing if Jalen Perry gets hype or gets a run? I haven’t seen much of him but is he that bad and hopeless? I think he was pretty talented coming out of hs? Would like to see him

succeed

Joined: 01/12/2015

MGoPoints: 689

King Tot

January 10th, 2022 at 5:55 PM ^

This reminds me a lot of the 2017 team. We lost a ton of talent and 10/11 starters. We were entering the 2nd year of a new defensive coordinator, and many of the backups flashed talent.

Joined: 11/29/2016

MGoPoints: 19281