4. The defense will look more like 2016-17 than 2019
2019 was the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era that the Michigan defense wasn’t in the top four. It wasn’t even in the top ten.
There were a lot of reasons for that. Poor execution at crucial moments, defensive breakdowns, inexperience in key spots. Some of that could still happen moving forward, of course, but one thing that should help all of that is increased team speed.
After the 2018 season, when defensive speed without Devin Bush Jr. seemed to be lacking, Michigan made several upgrades, targeting players like Anthony Solomon out of Florida. He could be a candidate at VIPER this year, as Michael Barrett, the heir apparent to Khaleke Hudson, spent last season cross-training at VIPER and SAM. Josh Ross will be returning from injury, and the staff talked about his superior speed before the season, one that saw him earn a redshirt due to injury.
Then there’s Cam McGrone, perhaps the key to all of this. Now that he has a year under his belt as a starter, he can react much more instinctively than he did in his first year. He might not quite reach Devin Bush levels — which are unprecedented, honestly — but he could come close.
Much also rests on the defensive line, but again, now that Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson have a year of starting under their belts, the pass rush should improve greatly. Especially with Carlo Kemp returning and Chris Hinton seeming ready for prime time.
There’s some concern in the secondary, with Lavert Hill and Josh Metellus’ departures. Opposite Ambry Thomas, will it be Vincent Gray — who now has a full year with a lot more experience under his belt, but some breakdowns in key games — or DJ Turner or Jalen Perry or another? Gray has always drawn accolades from the staff, so we anticipate it will be him, but we need to see more of what the staff raves about before we call it a win in the backfield. Safety should be solid with Brad Hawkins and Daxton Hill leading the charge.
All-in-all, Don Brown didn’t forget how to coach — even if the Ohio State game of the last two years looks like it. He pitched masterpieces in 2016-17 against the Buckeyes, so we know he has it in him. And the personnel indicates that this group is ready to take a big step forward, despite some losses to the NFL Draft and graduation.