Michigan football: Defense playing ‘with a chip on its shoulder’ this spring

New Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter inherited a talented group, but he also lost a lot from a Big Ten championship team. The guys who have returned are getting after it, however, to the point that expectations have risen. 

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No, there’s no David Ojabo or Aidan Hutchinson on the edges. And yes, the interior defensive line needs to be shored up. Linebacker Josh Ross and safeties Dax Hill and Brad Hawkins won’t be easily replaced, either. 

But Minter loves what he’s seen from those battling to replace him, and from his defense in general. 

“The attitude and the chip on their shoulder, the competitiveness when we go against what I foresee being a really talented offense in college football … that aspect has been great,” Minter told Jon Jansen on his In the Trenches podcast. “They learn really well. 

“We’ve got guys that love football. I don’t think you could make it here with Coach Harbaugh and Michigan if you don’t love football. That’s been really, really cool; really fun to be a part of. But overall, just the level of commitment, the level of wanting to learn, wanting to be better. Wanting to say, maybe, ‘okay, let’s try it this way.’ It’s been really pleasing so far.”

Michigan veterans challenged from the get-go

They started Feb. 21 with a heavy install, just so the Michigan veterans would feel challenged. The young guys’ heads were swimming a bit, but they continued to learn while the upperclassmen and returning starters improved. 

After six practices, Minter said, it was starting to sink in. 

“We’ve hit a point now where it will slow down. Now, it’s the ability to catch the young guys up,” he continued. “What I tell the young players every day is I’m not right now evaluating whether you make a mistake or mental error. I’m evaluating just your ability to go out there and play and be physical, play fast. Take the pressure off them from the mental standpoint. 

“Now — they want to be perfect. They want to get it right and all that. But I just want to see them flying around, learning how to play Michigan style of defense like the toughness and the physicality and the level of communication that’s required to play at this level. That’s what you want those guys to learn now.”

And it’s coming. Mazi Smith is where he started building, he said. The veteran tackle had a breakout season a year ago, and in this Michigan scheme, he’s the one that makes everything else work. 

“From his ability to take up space, but also his ability to make plays … there were times where last year where it was like, ‘hey — the inside guys are going to do this so these guys on the outside can eat,’” he said. “I think Mazi is going to be a playmaker for us, and we’re going to try to do some things with him. 

“[Then], Mike Morris is a guy who is champing at the bit to be an every down player. I think coach Mac [former Michigan coordinator Mike Macdonald] used him well last year. He did a lot of different things for him. He was an extremely important piece in how he was able to manipulate fronts, let those guys on the edges go.”

New looks for new personnel

Now, Morris will be one of those guys trying to get to the quarterback. He’s one who has shown that “chip” required to challenge the level of success and make it even better, Minter said, and there are others following his lead.

Others will have to step up, but there’s plenty of time and already been a lot of progress made.

“I think that’s our goal is how do we become a better defense?” the Michigan coordinator said. “You can say we lost this, lost that, but our challenge is to become a better defense. 

“When you look at the calendar in college football, you go spring ball, get some more time with them after spring to continue to meet and stuff, then go through June and July with the players where they can continue to learn. Then they hear the defense again in August …  [and] they’ll have a great grasp of what we’re trying to do.”