Ann Arbor — Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Jay Hill have said the defensive line is the strength of the defense heading into this season, but they have also suggested the depth in the secondary is nothing to sleep on.
Returning starters Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill appear to be set at the corners, while two-time captain Rod Moore, who said he's fully healthy after dealing with multiple knee surgeries since April 2024, and UAB/Memphis transfer Chris Bracy are the safeties. Michigan still has plenty of time left in preseason camp to make determinations at all positions, but the staff is feeling fairly confident about the versatility of the secondary.
"This is the only school I've ever been at where I really believe we could have three great nickels, and I can put different guys in there based on mismatch," Hill told reporters recently. "So Smith Snowden, Zeke Berry, Sug (Hill) … I've never had three interchangeable guys that are so different at that position. It's a fun luxury to have, and I'm kind of excited to see how I come up with how we do it."
There is a versatility required to play nickel requires, and Hill is relishing the options at his disposal as he **** embles his defensive chess board.
"You got to be able to cover man to man," Hill said. "You got to be able to tackle. You got to be very intelligent because we use those guys in a lot of disguises. We use them to blitz. We use them in zone coverages. We use them in man coverages. So those guys really are a real premier spot in this defense, and they got to be pretty adaptable to what we're doing with them."
#defense
Returning starters Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill appear to be set at the corners, while two-time captain Rod Moore, who said he's fully healthy after dealing with multiple knee surgeries since April 2024, and UAB/Memphis transfer Chris Bracy are the safeties. Michigan still has plenty of time left in preseason camp to make determinations at all positions, but the staff is feeling fairly confident about the versatility of the secondary.
"This is the only school I've ever been at where I really believe we could have three great nickels, and I can put different guys in there based on mismatch," Hill told reporters recently. "So Smith Snowden, Zeke Berry, Sug (Hill) … I've never had three interchangeable guys that are so different at that position. It's a fun luxury to have, and I'm kind of excited to see how I come up with how we do it."
There is a versatility required to play nickel requires, and Hill is relishing the options at his disposal as he **** embles his defensive chess board.
"You got to be able to cover man to man," Hill said. "You got to be able to tackle. You got to be very intelligent because we use those guys in a lot of disguises. We use them to blitz. We use them in zone coverages. We use them in man coverages. So those guys really are a real premier spot in this defense, and they got to be pretty adaptable to what we're doing with them."
#defense
3 days ago
