Michigan football’s defensive line may be the part everyone talks about first, but the deeper look suggests the real edge could come behind it.
Kyle Whittingham has been firm in his view that the Wolverines’ front is the strength of the defense. And on paper, that case is easy to make. John Henry Daley projects as an All-Big Ten type, Trey Pierce could be right there with him, and Michigan has a cluster of intriguing pieces in Enow Etta, Nate Marshall, Carter Meadows, Dominic Nichols and others who should all have a role this season.
There are still questions in that group. Etta has to elevate his game.
Marshall has yet to record a sack. Nichols has only one.
Those numbers should move in the right direction soon enough, but the more complete unit might actually be Michigan’s secondary.
That group has a strong argument as the best position room on the defense. Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry and Smith Snowden all earned some form of postseason honor in 2025, and together they bring 48 career pass breakups and nine interceptions. Each has also spent time at nickel or can handle that spot, which gives Michigan real flexibility.
The safety group could be just as dangerous if Rod Moore is healthy. Against Wisconsin last season, Moore made three impactful plays in only 19 snaps, including an interception. If that version of Moore is on the field for something closer to 50 snaps a game, the ceiling changes fast.
Chris Bracy also stands out as a potential difference-maker after posting 81 tackles and nine pass breakups last season. Add Jordan Young as a third safety and Shamari Earls as a fourth corner, and the depth starts to look like something most programs would happily build around as a starting group.
All of it ties back to Jay Hill, who has Michigan’s defense set to operate in a way that mirrors the 2023 Michigan football defense. Hill said the unit will look like that group, which means multiple fronts and multiple coverages. That 2023 defense left opponents describing looks they had never seen before after games like Ohio State and Washington.
Hill has a track record of making quarterbacks uncomfortable. BYU intercepted 39 passes over the past two seasons under him, and that kind of disguise-heavy approach could fit this Michigan roster well.
The run defense still has to do its part, and Trey Pierce will matter there. But if the secondary plays like it can, the Wolverines may end up with the most disruptive part of the defense exactly where the eye test says it belongs.
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Jordan Marshall is the headliner in that group after a strong previous season, and he has already put himself in the conversation as a potential Heisman contender if that level continues. Michigan also made the call to keep freshman Savion Hiter in the fold, a decision that signals confidence in the current depth chart and a willingness to move forward without Haynes as part of the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Opener Still Comes With One Injury Question Up Front
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Andrew Babalola will not be part of that opening-day group after a minor setback, leaving one more question up front as the team finalizes its first-game rotation. Michigan has already absorbed bigger blows in the offseason with Micah Kaapana and Ace Hamilton lost for the year, so even a short-term absence matters when the roster is being layered back together for the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwood Faces Michigan Test That Will Define The Hype
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Underwoods development matters because Michigan is not just waiting on talent anymore, it is waiting on proof that the hype can survive game planning, pressure and the regular rhythm of a season. He spent part of the offseason training with quarterback Jordan Palmer and Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow, and now the real test is whether those lessons show up when the Wolverines start asking him to run the offense instead of simply flash what he can do. [Read more 🡒]