How do Wesley Walker and Jaden Mangham fit into safety mix? Michigan DBs coach weighs in

The Michigan Wolverines enter the 2024 season with question marks on defense in terms of replacing the top-end depth from last year’s squad. Chief among the concerns are backfilling the production lost from Rod Moore‘s injury and Keon Sabb‘s transfer to Alabama.

Michigan attacked the transfer portal post-spring ball by adding four defensive backs heading into the season, two of them coming at safety in Michigan State’s Jaden Mangham and Tennessee/Louisville transfer Wesley Walker.

Last season, Mangham was an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer at Michigan State and he plays like he is shot out of a cannon. But re-adjusting to the expectations at U-M, like some of his other portal peers, has been a steady process.

“I think Mangham’s a good kid,” defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said on Sunday. “I think he works really hard. A good thing about him is he’s a mature player and he started games at Michigan State. I think you have to ask all the transfers… we do things differently here and what I mean by that is just the style of practice, what you face at practice every day, the offense that we run. The downhill, play-action shots, a lot of different things like that. That could be challenging for a guy that comes in here with just the spots and how we practice.

“But he’s done a good job of trying to learn the new playbook. He wasn’t here in the spring. We got him later in the summer. It’s different between a meeting and a sheet of paper or a playbook and then now actually being out there executing the defense. I also think his safety is a little bit different than at corner. I think his safety, one of the elite traits, is making other people around you better. If you look at all the great safeties that we have had here before – I know you all talk about Rod all the time – When he’s on the field, everybody feels comfortable. And I think it’s hard for a safety if you don’t know everything that’s going on to make others around you.

“I would think that’s probably a challenge with all our new young guys in the secondary, whether they’re freshmen or transfers.”

Michigan knows that increased depth and experience cannot necessarily backfill the presence of Moore, but a few program stalwarts in Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson are leading the way. Mangham and Walker could get there, but it seems that the faces we know are a step ahead of the fresh blood in the room.

“I think the thing with Rod is it’s kind of like having a coach on the field,” Morgan said. “He’s a quarterback. All the stuff, the adjustments, the checks, the communications, how you see it, I think that’s what Rod’s got. I think for me to say that one of those [transfers] would take that role, I think that’s probably more on Makari’s plate or Q’s plate, just because they’ve been here longer. I think those guys are just trying to make sure they can execute the defense, build trust in the coaches, and build trust in the other teammates.

“But Wes has played a lot of snaps too. I think that’s one of the things that we try to do to bring guys in here as transfer that’s played a lot of college snaps. Now, does that mean they’re better than what we have here? I’m not sure. The games will tell that. But I think that’s something where I try to value trying to keep the culture of a room and also bringing new guys in. I want guys with a lot of reps. I’m excited about Wes. He has some versatility. When he was at Georgia Tech, he played nickel. When he was at Tennessee, he played high. So he’s played a lot all over the field.”

Still, Morgan wants to make it clear that the new additions are not lagging behind. They are simply leaning on the known commodities and getting everyone else up to speed.

“I think all of them have been doing a great job,” Morgan said. “I didn’t want to say that they’re, like, behind or anything. I would say just, Michigan football is more than just X’s and O’s. It’s about how we train, how we practice, how you respond, the schedule that we do, all these different things. A lot of kids have never done this. Wesley’s a six-year player. He told me after his first couple practices he’s never practiced the way we practice. The amount of reps that we do, the style, all those things are just an adjustment for any kid that comes in the program.

“You could be any program in America. It’s just going to be a little bit different here. So, I think all those guys are on the same level of working. Wesley’s been getting reps with ones and twos. A lot of these guys have. We try to keep guys rotating in because that’s how the games are. Your ones aren’t always out there. Just trying to interchange them some. I think that’s what all of our transfers along with Brandon Hillman, who has been getting reps with the ones as well. So, a lot of guys have been getting reps with the ones, and that’s kind of how I like it.”