Ahead of Saturday’s kickoff of the 2026 football season, hopes are high that Michigan’s defense can return to its dominant nature under new defensive coordinator Jay Hill. Coming from BYU, Hill led top-20 defenses nationally in 2024 and 2025 and is known for running a complex, aggressive 4-2-5 defensive scheme.
The 2025 Wolverines defense lapsed against the pass, ranking 54th in the nation. Wink Martindale never quite seemed to get a firm grasp on the college game after coming from the NFL, an issue Hill won’t face. The 2026 iteration of the defense features plenty of high-end talent, but questions remain about the depth at a few positions. Here is a look at the defense entering the season and what to expect from each position group.
For a look at the offense, click here.
Defensive tackle
Starters: Enow Etta, Trey Pierce
Rotation: Jonah Lea’ea, Deyvid Palepale
Reserves: Alister Vallejo, Bobby Kanka, Titan Davis, Travis Moten, Ted Hammond
Trey Pierce is the standout defender along the interior of the defensive line. He was one of the top defenders against the run in college football in 2025, ranking among the top 10 in the Big 10, according to PFF. Enow Etta entered the transfer portal, but elected to return to Ann Arbor and will start alongside Pierce. His first season as a true interior lineman had its ups and downs, but Etta graded out positively against the run. Now in year two at the position, his best football is yet to come.
Beyond the starters, there are plenty of question marks about the defensive tackle rotation. Utah transfer Jonah Lea’ea projects to be the primary backup while the others are all young, unproven players. The big question coming out of the defensive tackle group, outside of depth, is can someone emerge as a pass rush threat? Pierce did not record a sack in 2025, and Etta notched only 0.5. The starters should be stout against the run, but there are a lot of unknowns beyond that.
Defensive end
Starters: John Henry Daley, Cameron Brandt
Rotation: Nate Marshall, Dominic Nichols
Reserves: Carter Meadows, Lugard Edokpayi, Benny Patterson III, Tariq Boney, Julius Holly
Edge rusher is as high-upside of a position as it gets on the 2026 Michigan roster. Utah transfer John Henry Daley was an All-American in 2025 with 11.5 sacks, 48 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 17.5 tackles for loss. He tore his Achilles in November, but by all accounts is healthy and ready to play in the season opener. If Daley is truly 100% from the get-go, he has the potential to be one of the best edge rushers in America and a first-round pick in the NFL Draft next spring.
The starting spot opposite Daley is not set in stone, as Cameron Brandt and Dom Nichols are both highly regarded players who have been with the program for a few seasons now. Beyond those two, former top-50 recruit Nate Marshall, five-star freshman Carter Meadows, and others are vying for playing time. Kyle Whittingham called Marshall “one of the best pass rushers on the team, if not the best pure pass rusher” in a recent press conference.
Edge is the deepest position on the defense, and possibly the team as a whole. Daley’s starting spot is secure, and Brandt, Nichols, Marshall, and others will all get cracks in the rotation. The x-factor to me is freshman Carter Meadows. The five-star is the highest-rated edge recruit Michigan has landed since Rashan Gary. How much he plays as a freshman remains to be seen, but there is no doubt Meadows is a future star.
Linebacker
Starters: Nathaniel Staehling, Chase Taylor
Rotation: Troy Bowles, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
Reserves: Aisea Moa, Max Alford, Markel Daboney
Unlike defensive end, linebacker is arguably the weakest and thinnest position on the team. After losing all three starters from the 2025 squad, including Cole Sullivan to week two opponent Oklahoma, there are questions aplenty at linebacker.
Nathaniel Staehling transferred in from North Dakota State and will start against Western Michigan. He was one of the best coverage linebackers at the FCS level in 2025 and recorded three interceptions, but whether or not that will translate to Big 10 football remains to be seen. Early opinions out of camp indicate optimism that his skillset will translate to high-level FBS football, a sentiment echoed by Kyle Whittingham.
The second starting spot is also up in the air between Troy Bowles, Chase Taylor, and Nate Owusu-Boateng. Out of the trio, Bowles saw the most playing time in 2025, recording 27 tackles. Whittingham expressed promise in the group, saying “I think the linebacker room is going to turn out to be pretty good.”
Jay Hill’s 4-2-5 scheme should ease some pressure off of the linebackers and mask the potential lack of depth. Between Staehling, Bowles, Taylor, and Owusu-Boateng, there is upside at the position, but too many unknowns to be confident in it being a strength of the defense like in years past.
Cornerback
Starters: Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden
Rotation: Shamari Earls
Reserves: Jo’Ziah Edmond, Jamarion Vincent, Jeremiah Lowe, Josh Nichols
Cornerback is a position of strength at the starting level. Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry return from the 2025 team while Smith Snowden enters the mix after an excellent season at Utah. Between the three starters, there are nearly 4,000 combined snaps and six seasons of starting experience. With an upgraded coaching staff, Hill and Berry should make jumps from where they ended 2025. Both are outstanding athletes and have another gear to unlock in Jay Hill’s defense. Snowden projects to start at nickel after nabbing two interceptions and allowing only 25 receptions on 57 targets last season.
Sophomore Shamari Earls, a top-100 recruit in 2025, dealt with injuries as a freshman and was not a factor on defense. Now healthy, Earls is an elite athlete who has the highest ceiling of any corner on the roster. He will see the field a lot as the clear second-string on the outside. If Earls can start to realize his potential in 2026, the Michigan CB room will be among the best in the nation.
Beyond the top four, there is a steep drop-off on the depth chart. Redshirt sophomore Jo’Ziah Edmond and freshman Jamarion Vincent would be next up in case of injuries, but neither has playing time at the collegiate level. If injuries knock out two of the top four corners, depth is a major concern. If the room stays healthy, it will be a major strength.
Safety
Starters: Rod Moore, Chris Bracy
Rotation: Jordan Young, Mason Curtis, Jacob Oden
Reserves: Kainoa Winston, Jordan Deck
Despite losing its top three safeties in terms of snap count for 2025, the safety room is in excellent shape ahead of the season. Memphis transfer Chris Bracy will start alongside Rod Moore, who is back for his sixth year after knee injuries wiped out his 2024 season and a majority of 2025. Moore is ready to play on Saturday, but “he’s not quite where he was prior to the setback,” according to Kyle Whittingham. Moore’s overall health will determine how much of an impact he will have this fall. If fully healthy, he is an All-American caliber player. But that is a big unknown.
Coaches have raved about Bracy throughout camp, and he has earned the starting job. Mason Curtis came into his own in the back half of the 2025 season. He is set for a featured role, regardless of Moore’s health in front of him, and could be a breakout star. Similarly, sophomore Jordan Young saw an expanded role late last season and returned to Michigan after entering the transfer portal. Between the top four of Moore, Bracy, Curtis, and Young, the safety room has plenty of upside.
Overall thoughts
As with the offense, I expect the defense to be much improved over 2025. With better coaching in place under Jay Hill, there is plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball for Michigan to rank among the best units in college football despite a grueling schedule. Edge rusher and corner are the strongest starting groups, with safety and defensive tackle also boasting high upside. The pass rush and secondary will be stout. Linebacker is the big unknown, but the coaching staff seems confident in the group. Overall health and depth are the big question marks that could prevent the defense from reaching its ceiling, but the talent is there for a classic tough and physical Michigan defense to emerge in year one under Kyle Whittingham.
All photos via MGoBlog
