Michigan's Wink Martindale on adding talent from transfer portal, recruiting: 'We’re gonna have to attack this offseason as hard as we can'

Michigan Wolverines football ranked first in the country in both scoring and total defense in 2023, a huge reason why the program won its 12th-ever national championship on the back of a 15-0 season.

There’s been a drop-off this season, after Michigan lost eight starters to the NFL. The Wolverines are tied 56th nationally in scoring defense (23.3 points per game) and 48th in total defense (345.1 yards per game). There are a lot of variables in play, though, including a much tougher regular-season schedule.

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who’s in his first season at Michigan with all new position coaches around him, discussed how the season has played out compared to his expectations coming in.

“From what I expected before the season, you always expect to win,” Martindale explained. “As a coach, you do. But you also know that anything can happen.

“The thing that I always talk to the players about — losing is learning. It always has been. Different ways you can do things, different ways they can prepare, different ways we can prepare.”

Michigan has been banged up at multiple spots defensively this season, most notably playing the last 11 quarters without All-American junior cornerback Will Johnson, who also missed time earlier in the season with a different ailment. That has only further highlighted the importance of having a deep group.

“Injuries are something that crop up during the season,” Martindale continued. “Really, I think, in college football, you need to be three-deep — not two-deep, three-deep. And I know that’s where our success was the two prior years, is the depth that we had. You’re seeing all the guys that are starting now, were backups. That’s facts.

“We just gotta keep working our tail off to keep bringing depth in here.”

Michigan has a recruiting class currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation that is slated to sign in December. The NCAA transfer portal also opens Dec. 9, and given Michigan will lose talent to the NFL once again, the Wolverines are expected to be active in reeling in players. Martindale believes — “without a doubt” — that Michigan can quickly fix some of its issues by adding portal athletes.

“What gives me the confidence is watching our position coaches, which I’ve told you before, I think are the best in the country — not only coaching their position, but in recruiting,” Martindale said of why he believes Michigan can make some splash additions. “I think that we’re gonna have to attack this offseason as hard as we can to turn some spots around and turn some spots over.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out, but I know they’re working their tails off, with all the recruits we’ve had in here. We’ve had some good recruits.

“That gives me confidence, the guys that are in here. But the thing that’s crazy now is it’s not just recruiting — it’s money. So that puts a whole different twist to it.”

While Michigan will use the transfer portal to fill needs, Martindale doesn’t believe the days of developing players internally are over.

“I don’t want to say that, because we have the opportunity to get some really good freshmen,” he noted. “Our opportunity scrimmages and things like that, we’re still doing that.

“You’re going into the unknown, because it’s gonna go to 105 on the roster, and they’re saying they’re gonna have this rule and have this rule. You guys have all covered the NCAA a lot longer than what I’ve been in it this second time around. I know when I hear a rule, I don’t believe it until I see it … except the catch rule.”

Wink Martindale surprised by how much money factors into recruiting: ‘Wild, Wild West’

Martindale started his coaching career in high school, before moving up to college. But he spent the last 20 seasons in the NFL, including seven as a coordinator, and times have changed. There’s even been changes since he took over as Michigan’s defensive coordinator in February, with a March court injunction allowing programs to be involved with NIL deals.

The 61-year-old coach was asked if he has been surprised by how prevalent money is in recruiting.

“I didn’t even think about it,” Martindale said bluntly.

“I know it’s like free agency — that’s real easy to say. It’s real easy for you guys to say, well, it’s this, this and this. Until there are salary caps and everything else involved in college football, you just don’t know what to believe and who’s actually getting what. And it’s sort of like the Wild, Wild West. But I know they’re getting it. It’s both portal and the incoming freshman recruiting-wise.”

Martindale said the Michigan position coaches would be the ones who could best answer how quickly NIL comes up when speaking with recruits, since he’s “sort of like the closer” in recruiting. But he knows it’s a major factor.

“When they start talking money, I say, ‘Well, yeah, we’ll get to that,’ and I know nothing about it,” the Michigan coach said. “But let’s make no mistake about it … I do know this from listening, when someone says money’s not important, money’s important. And it’s important to all of us. It’s important to all of us.

“That’s just where we’re at, where you can have a guy that’s sixth on your list, and a school that has no business competing with a Big Ten school — I’m not just saying Michigan, a Big Ten school — can come in and grab him because they’re looking at that guy as their top guy to get. Where we’re saying, ‘This is our sixth guy, there’s no way we can go that high,’ but it ends up that everybody gets that high. It just keeps escalating.

“I think it’s unsustainable, where we’re at right now, and I don’t know how long it’ll last. That’s when I start thinking about [my] long term [career in college football]. That’s where I start thinking about that.”