Everything Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan football and the defense in spring ball
The Michigan defense lost some key cogs like Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Daxton Hill, Brad Hawkins, and Josh Ross from last year’s Big Ten championship team.
The Wolverines’ defense appeared to outplay the Michigan offense during the spring game in early April. While a lot of that could have been a simple offensive gameplan, different quarterback play, and a different offensive line unit — the defense played pretty well.
The maize and blue still have a load of talent on the defensive side of the ball with returning starters like Junior Colson, Nikhai Hill-Green, Gemon Green, DJ Turner, and Rod Moore all returning. Plus there are plenty of rotational guys returning from last year’s squad who has a ton of experience.
The Michigan defense should be fine, and for the first time since the spring game ended, Jim Harbaugh appeared on In the Trenches with Jon Jansen to talk about his defense.
Here is everything Jim Harbaugh had to say about the Michigan defense.
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Everything Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan football and the offense in spring ball
On new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
Yeah, really got the even-keel demeanor that you need from a play-caller. He really understands offenses, to be able to defend an offense or attack an offense in their protections, cover them in their route schemes — you need a really good understanding.
The same way an offensive play-caller needs to understand defenses and know where to attack where they’re weak, where you can get a matchup — he’s super in meetings with the players and really good with the staff. He takes input and asks for input — he works really hard at it. He has a real good competitive streak to him as well, which is really important. You know, all really good things, but never once fluster — out of gas — or underwhelmed. He makes it look easy, and all the really good ones have the ability to make it look easy.
Who has filled the void left by Hutchinson and Ojabo
There is quite a few tempting to fill it, or are doing a pretty good job — there are some pretty good players you mentioned there. On the edges Ojabo and Hutchinson, in the secondary you got Hawkins and Hill, and Josh Ross at the linebacker position — some real important roles.
Right off the rip, I would say Mazi Smith may turn out to be our best defensive player. Mike Morris is going to be right in there as well. The guys who have come so far so fast, and played so good when you go back and snap on the tape of the Iowa game and the Georgia game — is Kris Jenkins. He’s continued to be dominant in the way he gets off of blocks, runs the football, and continues to grow in his strength. I think of him as the JJ McCarthy of the defense, a kid in the candy store — always looking for an opportunity or always having a good day.
On the edges, I’m really excited about Taylor Upshaw, who you know is strong, physical, tough, and relentless type of player.
The guy that has grown the most is Jaylen Harrell, who saw a lot of action last year and was a starter at time — kind of a true SAM linebacker in a 4-3 defense. He’s athletic and can drop, rush the passer, but he has shown up as the one and only guy on the team to hit it out of the park in the classroom — he made the top 25 in the ATTACK program which judges everything: practice, academic, attendance, and performance. He also — we award a guy who can attend all 15 practices and we had a record number this year right around 60, it’s been around 30 in the past. He was also on the winning special team group, so he made all four of those, and was the only one to do it. Looking forward to big things from Jaylen.
Other guys too, edge guys like Braiden McGregor, he had a really good spring and elevated his game quite a bit. TJ Guy continues to flash and have — it’s like they flash and then have a play they want back — it’s almost like where Rayshaun Benny was during the season. Rayshaun, the floor for a bad play is so much higher than it used to be, and he’s making some consistent plays — getting off blocks and getting to the passer. Benny is going to be a really good player I predict.
Then mid-year freshman Mason Graham would be the guy to keep an eye on as somebody who can play early out of the freshman class. Really high motor, well thought of, and is already physically strong, but he needs some more strength work, but shows the athleticism and agility to be a really good player — he will play as a freshman.
More on what he saw from Mason Graham
Yeah, he was playing and playing at a pretty darn high level right off the bat. He was out about a week or so, or two, he had an ankle but came back faster than an ordinary man would.
You love to see it because there is a real level of toughness there. As you know the closer you get to the ball, the harder it is to play as a true freshman. Center, guard, d-tackle for sure, the physical development of being strong enough to be a defensive tackle where you’re playing against guys who are four and five years older. He’s a mid-year freshman and should still be in high school but he was right in there and not just flashing, but consistently playing pretty, really good football. I’m excited about that.
The other guys, George Rooks was really flashing. Dominik Giudice was showing that he’s a football player — he’s going to help us on special teams. He has some athleticism and a big body, he has a real desire to contribute on special teams — excited about him.
On Derrick Moore
Derrick Moore, he is going to be — I think my personal opinion is going to be a fantastic player. Probably will also be a really good player right away in the fall. He is really gifted athletically and strength — it’s all there already. Another mid-year freshman and when he figures out to play with the really high relentless mid-play — you can still make a play — you don’t have to just come clean to make a play and get involved with a tackle or a sack. Once he really learns how to play the game, it’s just learning the scheme and the counter moves, once he learns that, I think he’s going to be a beast out there on the edge — like I got really high hopes for him. He has a really quick first step and second step. He can beat guys — it’ll come, it’ll come — Mike Elston is doing a tremendous job with all those guys. The development is there right now, seeing it, so good as a coach. But, yeah he is going to learn that guys — tackles do punch back. You try to punch first and take really good sets, so you do need — they are going to stick you more times than not.
You need counters and need relentlessness like Aidan developed. He didn’t have — didn’t know it until his second year. You’re used to coming out of high school and ‘here I go, I’m by you’. Once he gets that, and learns that I’m real confident he’s going to be stellar.
Who has stepped up in the secondary
RJ Moten has really stepped up. DJ Turner is coming along. Mike Sainristil is totally — put him anywhere — he’s a leader as we love. We have some real strong leaders in the secondary. Guys aren’t afraid to talk or point something out, you’re doing this wrong it should be this way, whether it’s in the training environment or in the field.
Gemon had a really good spring, always — they have so high potential. Someone like Gemon Green and DJ Turner, you saw DJ start realizing some of that — learning to have some of that real locked-in drive, all out, all the time to match the real skill they have. There is tremendous growth there with Green and DJ.
RJ Moten is a strong leader. He talks and people listen, and he continues to take better angles, and how he tackles. That is where he has improved, but he is playing really well. All of this is coming from coach Clinkscale by the way. He loves them and he is tough on them, and he will be the first to tell you that’s how he coaches. He’s a very demanding coach in the best sort of way because he really cares about making guys the very best they can be. All of this development we are seeing in leadership and play effort is really been driven by coach Clink.
The other guy that has had a tremendous spring is Makari Paige. He has developed that strength you need. I have always pointed out with Makari, is that his first — mid-year — presence here when he was a freshman, right away Makari Paige No. 7 — this guy is going to be something. Then we get to the season, and it didn’t come, didn’t happen like I predicted. After his freshman year another really fantastic spring, pretty good fall camp, and then not so much during the season — there were some good players there like Dax Hill and Brad Hawkins. But once again at an even higher level, Makari Paige, has had a — I’m never going to stop saying that. But if he can continue and now capitalize on the strength he has and toughness that has really developed to go along with his athleticism — smart, savvy player. Take that into fall camp and stay healthy, and he should be a starter — should be. The fate is in his hands, what he does with that over the summer and fall camp, but he is poised and once again put himself in position to be a really good player and a starter.
Also, been a lot of growth is Caden Kolesar. He continues to be our top special teams guy — playing all four. He’s relentless, outstanding, smart, fast, athletic guy who is — he could also maybe beat out Makari. It’ll be the drive out of the two guys that ends up winning that — edge to Makari right now.
Also Quinten Johnson who came on last year for special teams, he really came on in his desire and want to play and earn it — be good. He had a really good spring. I really seen that light turn on in Quinten.
Also Jordan Morant, to continue to have that drive and want to — football being very important, right up there in your priorities. He’s got the natural athletic ability and toughness. He can hit, not afraid, he could surface to be that type of guy.
On Rod Moore
The one guy that wasn’t out there was Rod Moore, who has all those qualities.
He’s a true 17-year-old coming to college, didn’t turn 18 until September or October this past year. He was a guy who outworked everybody and wanted it more. He took that smallish frame and wasn’t afraid to go from point A to point B and hit somebody. Ended up seeing him as the starter at the end of the season. His ability, grit, and drive, but a high school player that wasn’t held back — didn’t re-classify. Therefore he wasn’t a 19-year-old five-star. Instead, he was an 18-year-old starting at the University of Michigan in the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State, and Georgia.
He had an off-season surgery and now coming back — get a man-year under his belt going from 18 to 19. That’s when they really come going from 18 to 19, really looking forward to gaining his man-year.
He’ll be right back in the mix.
Also, Zeke Berry wasn’t a mid-year freshman, but he will be coming in the fall. He’s very versatile and played a bunch of different positions at De La Salle — he will be a factor as well.
What Harbaugh sees in his linebackers
I love Junior, Junior really has it all. He’s got a great work ethic, great attitude, and all the physical skills. Really smart guy that you know can run the defense. He is capable of being one of the best linebackers we have ever seen around here. He’s very young, very young player, so probably should just say the longer it takes for Junior to figure out how good Junior is, the better Junior is going to be — always room for improvement.
Nakhai Hill-Green is a relentless and tough motor.
Also, a bunch of really good gifted, physical athlete — who had a great spring — is Kalel Mullings who is right there with both of those guys. A linebacker that really elevated his game. He was playing with a cast a lot of the time last year — the whole time, the whole season last season. Had surgery on his hand and — but now that’s off. His ability to strike people and not have that pain or cringe has really elevated his game.
Mike Barrett has been completely — he’s a starter in our five DB package. But he is backing up Junior at WILL, but he starts in packages and a versatile player and excellent on special teams. He contributes a ton.
Young guy Jaydon Hood, I continue to like him a lot — he kept showing up his true freshman year on scout team. He was showing and flashing Rayshaun Benny and other guys. He continued to work on his — not as physical or big as Junior or Nikhai — keep working on his craft there. I like him a lot.
Joey V, knocking it out of the park on the baseball field, has made a lot of strides in football. He stayed with football the entire spring. He was completely football all spring, but would sneak over to baseball — get a pitch-hit or game-winning triple in baseball, how hard is that to do? I was never a great hitter, but just be all football then over there to baseball when he could. Now he is over there full time with baseball, but he bleeds blue — tremendous effort and motor. Finding the ball and a nose for the ball — working on that craft.
Finally, we have two good linebackers coming in Jimmy Rolder and Deuce Spurlock. Who will remind you of Big Ten linebackers. Guys you’ve been around and seen around, they are very much like Kalel, Nikhai and Junior.
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