Predicting Michigan Football’s Defensive Lineup in 2024

Fall camp is just around the corner, but it’s time to take another shot at what Michigan’s defense might look like when it faces Fresno State on Aug. 31. Michigan lost key players like Braiden McGregor, Kris Jenkins, Jaylen Harrell, Junior Colson, Michael Barrett, Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace from the 2023 national championship team. But the Wolverines have many star talents back, which should make them a top defense once again in 2024.

Here’s my best guess at what Michigan will look like defensively in 2024.

ICYMI: Predicting Michigan Football’s Offensive Depth Chart in 2024

Starters: Josaiah Stewart (EDGE), Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, Derrick Moore (EDGE)

Substitutes: TJ Guy (EDGE), Rayshaun Benny, Enow Etta, Tyler McLaurin (EDGE)

Featuring: Trey Pierce, Cam Brandt, Kechaun Bennett (EDGE), Breon Ishmail (EDGE), Aymeric Koumba (EDGE), Dominic Nicols (EDGE), Brooks Bahr, Allessandro Lorenzetti

You won’t find a better starting defensive line in college football than the 2024 Michigan Wolverines. Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham — who are only in their third year — are arguably the best interior defensive duo in the country. Graham was fourth among all defensive players last year with a defensive grade of 90.0, according to PFF. Grant was 32nd at 80.4, playing behind Kris Jenkins. Now as starters, both will clog up lanes to stop the run, and both are much better at getting to the quarterback than you’d think.

While Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor were solid starters for Michigan in 2023, Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart could be a backup. As backups, Stewart was second on Michigan with 5.5 sacks last year and Moore was third with five sacks. Moore was second on the team with a pass-rush grade of 81.0, according to PFF. As full-time starters, it’s hard to imagine Stewart and Moore’s production not skyrocketing.

Losing three key players from last season did affect the team’s depth, but Michigan isn’t exactly empty. TJ Guy and Rayshaun Benny have been in the mix at one point or another. In fact, Benny has been a player for a few years now. He’s recovering from an injury, but he had 27 tackles and 5.5 TFLs in 2023 and should be the first lineman off the bench. Guy hasn’t played much, but is a player beloved by teammates and coaches. Guy and Enow Etta are both quick and explosive and should be major contributors for Michigan in 2024.

The third EDGE behind Guy is a bit of a mystery. I’m guessing Tyler McLaurin, who is a senior. But don’t rule out the young players like Aymeric Koumba or Breon Ishmail who could come into the rotation. The Wolverines are also very confident that interior players like Trey Pierce and Cam Brandt will play a role in 2024.

Starters: Ernest Hausmann, Jaishawn Barham, Jimmy Rolder (third linebacker)

Substitutes: Jaydon Hood, Micah Pollard, Cole Sullivan

Featuring: Christian Boiven, Jason Hewlett, Mason Curtis, Zach Ludwig

It will be difficult for Michigan to replace both Junior Colson and Michael Barrett in 2024, but the Wolverines have the two guys who could do it — if it’s even possible. Ernest Hausmann was Michigan’s No. 3 linebacker a year ago after coming over from Nebraska, and Michigan acquired Jaishawn Barham from Maryland this offseason.

Hausmann was fifth in the entire Big Ten among linebackers last season with an outstanding 85.8 tackle rating. He was also third at Michigan with 46 tackles. Hausmann rarely misses tackles and is one of the better open-field tackles on the team. Barham isn’t far behind Hausmann, and some believe he would have been a 2024 NFL draft pick had he been draft eligible last season. The junior linebacker was a Freshman All-American at Maryland two seasons ago. His production with the Terps dropped slightly from 2022 to 2023. He went from 58 tackles between his freshman and sophomore seasons to 37.

Both are athletic and tough, but the only real concern for Michigan’s starting linebackers is their coverage. Both Colson and Barrett were among the Big Ten’s best in coverage last year. Hausmann wasn’t far behind Barrett, but Barham only had a 44.7 coverage grade, according to PFF. He allowed 16 catches on 21 balls thrown to him. That’s one area Michigan needs to improve on Barham if he’s going to play the majority of snaps.

Although Michigan lost several players to the linebacker position in the offseason, some talent is returning. Guys like Jimmy Rolder and Jaydon Hood have been around for a long time and have gotten playing time. Rolder was a big contributor in his first season and Hood played more last year. Freshman Cole Sullivan did everything he was supposed to do during spring practice from the coaching staff and players. The Wolverines have more linebackers than some may think.

Starters: Will Johnson, Aamir Hall, Ja’Den McBurrows (Nickel)

Substitutes: Jyaire Hill, Ricky Johnson, Zeke Berry (Nickel)

Featuring: Myles Pollard, Kody Jones, Keshaun Harris, Jo’Ziah Edmond, Jeremiah Lowe

Losing players like Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace isn’t something that can be easily fixed with a plug-and-play program, but it helps that Michigan gets back the best cornerback in college in Will Johnson. The All-American is back and is already being considered a top-five pick for the 2025 NFL Draft in April. But after Johnson, it’s a bit of a mystery who will line up alongside him.

On the other side of the field, it will be a battle between Jyaire Hill and Aamir Hall – transfer from Albany. As much as I like Hill and as much as I think he will run a lot in 2024, I see Hall like Wallace did last year. He is a veteran player who played a lot of college football. Hall was an FCS All-American at Albany last year. He had 57 tackles and five interceptions and PFF gave him a defensive grade of 85.7, which would have been behind only Wallace on Michigan’s team. Hall is a physical cornerback and even though the Big Ten is a new beast, Hall has the experience on his side.

Then at the nickelback position, it will be a battle between Zeke Berry and Ja’Den McBurrows. What most people forget about this competition is that McBurrows was the primary backup to Sainristil last season and did very well when he got his chance. He played 182 snaps for the Wolverines’ defense and was the team’s third-leading tackler with an 83.9 rating according to PFF. He was also sixth among Michigan defensive backs in coverage with a 73.9 rating and had one interception to his name. Berry is good and full of talent, but I see McBurrows as a veteran with experience who got the early nod to the Wolverines in 1924.

Michigan also grabbed Ricky Johnson from UNLV out of the portal. He wasn’t rated highly by PFF last year, but he’s also a seasoned veteran and should play a role for the Wolverines. Guys like Myles Pollard and Kody Jones have been around for a few seasons and will do whatever it takes to get on the field this year.

Starters: Rod Moore (injured), Makari Paige, Wesley Walker

Substitutes: Jaden Mangham, Quinten Johnson

Featuring: Brandyn Hillman, Jacob Oden

Michigan lost Keon Sabb to Alabama in the offseason and that was hard to swallow at first, especially when Rod Moore was out and is out for the foreseeable future. Michigan got some good news, however, when Quinten Johnson said he would come back for another season and then opted out of Sherrone Moore and brought Wesley Walker (Tennessee) and Jaden Mangham (Michigan State) out of the portal. Even without Moore, the Wolverines have a very strong safety position and this could be the biggest position battle on the defensive side of the football.

We know Makari Paige is locked into a starting position. Paige was considered the Wolverines’ best tackler last season. He had 41 tackles and was rated as Michigan’s best defensive back with a tackling grade of 86.0, according to PFF.

But who starts opposite Paige is the mystery. The Wolverines have three guys I believe could start right away: Johnson, Walker and Mangham. As we saw last year, Michigan has frequently used three safeties in rotation and on the field together, and that will most likely happen again this year.

However, if I had to pick a starter today, I’d go with Wesley Walker. In 349 coverage snaps as Tennessee’s starting safety, Walker didn’t allow a single touchdown. He posted a 75.0 coverage rating and would have been the Wolverines’ sixth-best defensive back last year, just behind Will Johnson. He has no experience at Michigan, but he’s entering his sixth season with 2,237 career snaps.

Again, I view Mangham and Johnson as starting lineup-quality safeties and see both of them playing. Johnson played all 15 games for Michigan in 2023 and made big plays against opponents like Ohio State. He’s also entering his sixth year and has carved out a nice role for himself with the Wolverines. It’s hard to imagine him not playing this year, even if he gains two solid safeties through the portal. Mangham played 606 snaps for MSU last year, nearly as many as Mike Sainristil played for Michigan in four fewer games, and was a terror against the opponent’s run. He posted a run defensive grade of 82.7, according to PFF, and could play a big role in filling the box in 2024.

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