In spring, new Michigan football defensive coordinator Jay Hill said that his defense should remind people of what Jesse Minter ran in Ann Arbor in 2023. And while there are philosophical similarities, that doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story of what you should expect to see on the field.
Yes, Michigan will continue to have two linebackers on the field much of the time, along with a nickelback, but there are changes in the way that the defense is run, particularly up front.
Wolverines senior defensive tackle Enow Etta spoke with Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast on Wednesday, and shared how the defense differs from what Wink Martindale or Jesse Minter ran in Ann Arbor. He notes that the front is asked to do some different things and that could play a big factor in how offenses will react, given that it’s not just the back end of the defense that moves around like chess pieces.
“I think there is a lot of variation,” Etta said. “To be honest, the past three years were pretty much the same scheme because Coach Wink and Coach Minter came from the same background. But with Coach Hill, from what I’ve seen this spring, I think he likes to move around a lot with the D-tackles. We’re in different positions every play. One play, I’ll be a 3-tech slashing. There’s a package where we’re moving across the whole line.
“How do I say it? He likes to be variable with us. He doesn’t ask to do a lot, but you really kind of have to do a lot. You have to do a little and a lot at the same time. And I know that’s kind of confusing, but I think people will see once the season comes around. I would say there is variation just because the things that we do, I feel like not a lot of guys in the country can do at a high level. And I think that’s why he trusts us. And I think that’s why he thinks highly of us, because I feel like the guys in the room, even the younger guys, they’re catching on, and they can do that. And I feel like he tries his best to put us in situations where we’re going to succeed. And I think we’ve seen that.”
Kyle Whittingham was adamant in spring ball that the defensive front is the strength of the team, which was somewhat of a surprise given the attrition at the position. In the spring game, we saw that Whittingham’s assessment of his team was more accurate than the preconceived notions.
Time will tell if that holds. Michigan is currently in summer conditioning with fall camp set for August 1 and the season opener on September 5.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: A surprising difference for Michigan football defense under Jay Hill
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
