Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill has already shown that he's elite at his job. Michigan's defense is already being recognized as one of the best in the country.
Since the season started, most people have been talking about Michigan's offense and quarterback Bryce Underwood's development. The Wolverines almost fell to Western Michigan in Week 1, then beat Oklahoma as an underdog in Week 2 and most recently beat up on UTEP in Week 3. Luckily, Jay Hill's defense has been rock solid, which is going to keep U-M in games all year long.
That's what most people think will happen this weekend when Michigan hosts Iowa to kick off conference play. The offense needs to try to figure it out, while the defense does its thing.
Hill met with the media on Wednesday afternoon and five key things stuck out about his defense ahead of the Big Ten opener.
1. Michigan defense is already showing flashes of becoming something special
Hill directly compared his current defense to the 2023 Michigan defense, saying there are similarities in the pressure patterns and coverage concepts but, more importantly he pointed to the consistency and production of that 2023 group as the standard Michigan is chasing. He said that he has studied that defense a lot and is starting to see some flashes in this group that remind him of that bunch that won a national title.
"The overall production of that unit is what made them pretty special," Hill said. "It's just game after game that those guys played at a high level, and I think we've done something similar to that to this point."
He cited holding Oklahoma to just 10 points and UTEP to just 150 total yards. He also mentioned the five straight three-and-outs and a defensive touchdown against the Miners. Right now, his defense is flashing, but he says there's still another level to reach.
2. The linebackers have exceeded expectations
This is probably the most surprising point as this group was a relative unknown before the season started. Hill was asked to specifically evaluate his linebackers compared to what he expected, and his answer was extremely strong.
"I think they're playing beyond what anyone really expected at this point," Hill said. "They're playing like NFL-type linebackers right now."
That's a pretty bold statement to make about an unproven group, but guys like Troy Bowles, Nathaniel Staehling and Chase Taylor have been very solid.
3. Michigan's secret weapon is its depth up front
The defensive line/end rotation is another strong point for Hill's defense. Hill said that there aren't just a couple of good edge rushers, there's an entire room full of guys that matter. That includes true freshmen Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney.
"There's a lot of really good players in that group," Hill said. "We have a lot of trust and confidence in a lot of guys in that room."
That's very interesting heading into this weekend's matchup against Iowa who is starting a new quarterback and expected to control the trenches as a part of the run game.
4. Hill is not afraid to let his corners play man to man
Hill says as of right now, his defense is playing roughly 50/50 man/zone and more man than he did at BYU, specifically because he has cornerbacks that he really trusts.
Smith Snowden, Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill and Shamari Earls can all cover and have all shown the ability to stick with all types of receivers. On top of that, Hill is a master of disguising what he's in even though it's been a good bit of man. He thought everyone did a good job of that against Oklahoma and that's why John Mateer struggled as much as he did.
5. The turnovers are coming — at least Hill believes they are
Lastly, Hill acknowledged that Michigan hasn't forced as many turnovers as he's accustomed to, despite BYU producing interceptions at a high rate over the previous two seasons.
That might be a great thing because usually when they do, they come in droves," Hill said.
He's obviously optimistic and he should be. The defense has been very solid through three weeks and definitely was against a great offense in Oklahoma. Now, it's time to turn it up a notch as Big Ten play starts with Iowa this weekend.
