WATCH: Jesse Minter, Michigan defenders discuss Jalen Milroe, Alabama, more
LOS ANGELES — Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and key defenders met with the media Thursday morning at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. Watch video of Minter on the player at the top of the screen and players in the embed below.
Much of the conversation for the Michigan assistant and players surrounded facing Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, a dynamic dual-threat signal-caller.
“It’s really an 11 on 1 mentality,” Minter said. “He’s capable of every play, not only playing the first play and having to defend the first play but also like what we call the second play.
“His ability when he drops back to, one, scramble to throw the ball really, really far downfield or to dump the ball off to the speed guys, but also his ability to take the ball himself.
“It’s 11 on 1. We’ve got to do a great job up front with our rush lanes and integrity of that, but at the same time, our guys have to go play fast. I think there’s times where you can over-coach those guys of sitting there waiting to see what he’s going to do, and then there’s times where you’ve got to let those guys roll, maybe have somebody else there if they screw it up.
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“But I’m looking forward to our guys facing that challenge and confident in our players’ ability to go out there and have some success.”
Michigan has used sophomore quarterback Alex Orji as a scout team look in practice, but Minter noted that Milroe and his experience are a completely different challenge.
“I think there’s times when you play certain quarterbacks or certain receivers where you know 40, 50 yards downfield they’re going to stop, they’re going to start coming back,” Minter said of Milroe’s big arm. “These guys are going to keep running, and he has the ability to chuck it down there. Alex has a great skill set in his own right. I think he’s got a bright future as a quarterback.
“He’s done a really good job. It’s hard to simulate a guy like Jalen Milroe. Alex has a unique skill set that we can try to simulate him, but to say we can simulate him to a tee is probably not fair to him and how well he’s played this year.”
But Alex has done a great job trying to give us the best look.
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