Jim Harbaugh is the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and expectations are defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will join him in California. Our Josh Henschke has confirmed that Minter will leave Michigan to pursue NFL opportunities.

READ: BREAKING: Jesse Minter to leave Michigan for NFL

If 2023 was a test of sorts for Minter to prove he wasn't simply inheriting success from Mike Macdonald, he clearly passed with an A+. Michigan's defense was the best in the nation in many categories. They didn't give up points, forced turnovers, and scored points. Pair that with Macdonald's continued success with the Baltimore Ravens, and Minter would be a hot name for DC openings in the NFL.

Instead of Jim Harbaugh looking for Minter's replacement, it will be Sherrone Moore. Moore needs to replace himself as offensive coordinator as well; needless to say, getting these two hires right would be crucial for his tenure to get off to a great start.

READ: Candidates to become next Michigan Football offensive coordinator

The questions we asked about the next offensive coordinator also apply to the defense. Clearly, the scheme Michigan runs has been a key to its success, and keeping some form of it is the goal. Do you do that by promoting someone internally? Can Moore look to John Harbaugh's Ravens for yet another young coach in that scheme? Is there an external hire who can adapt their own concepts into the Michigan scheme, possibly a connection to Sherrone Moore?

Here are some candidates Michigan could target for defensive coordinator to replace Jesse Minter.

While Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter get a lot of credit for Michigan's defensive success the last three seasons, there should be plenty of credit given to defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale. Harbaugh wanted Clink in Ann Arbor for a long time, and it's obvious why.

Since taking over the secondary in 2021, Clink has maximized the potential of Dax Hill, Vincent Gray, DJ Turner, Gemon Green, Will Johnson, and Mike Sainristil. In 2022 and 2023, Michigan had more interceptions than passing touchdowns allowed. The secondary scored 4 touchdowns while only allowing 8 passing touchdowns this season.

Clink is already a co-defensive coordinator, and his three years in this system make him an obvious candidate to continue what Michigan has built. There is some question as to whether he would want the job or not, but if he does, he should be a top choice.

The other candidate on staff worth considering is defensive line coach Mike Elston. Elston came home to Ann Arbor after 12 seasons at Notre Dame with the task of replacing Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Michigan's committee approach was stout up front, one of the best run defenses in the country, and they increased their sack total from 2022. Elston has overseen the success of players like Mike Morris, Mazi Smith, Kris Jenkins, Jaylen Harrell, Braiden McGregor, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Derrick Moore,

Elston is already Michigan's recruiting coordinator, and there are some questions as to whether he would be the right guy to maintain the current scheme. Maybe a co-DC situation with Clink makes sense? Depending on responsibilities, Elston game plans for the run, Clink for the pass? You have to consider all options with your top internal candidates.

Who replaces Minter talk started last year, and a name that came up often during the season was D'Anton Lynn. Lynn spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before taking the scheme to UCLA in 2023. To say Lynn's first season was successful is an understatement.

Lynn brought UCLA's defense from 87th to 11th in college football. They led the nation in run defense and were third in sacks per game. Lynn was so successful that Lincoln Riley and USC hired the DC from their rival this winter.

So you'll say, but USC just hired him? We've already seen that new contracts and jobs mean nothing when it comes to coordinators, and it shouldn't stop Michigan from speaking to Lynn. Whether he wants to leave USC for Michigan is a different question, but if you want a coach who runs the same scheme and has experience as a college defensive play caller, Lynn is the answer. His rise to Michigan defensive coordinator would almost mirror that of Jesse Minter.

Intel: One name as an early DC candidate sticking out

If the goal is to keep the Ravens' train rolling, the choice in Baltimore may be linebackers coach Zachary Orr. Orr has spent the last two seasons coaching linebackers in Baltimore and has been right alongside Mike Macdonald, whose background is with linebackers. Orr was with the Jaguars for one season in 2021 but actually started with Baltimore from 2016-20.

He has coached some phenomenal players, including Roqaun Smith, Patrick Queen, Josh Allen, and Matt Judon. Orr's only coaching experience is his 7 years as a linebackers coach. Where Lynn's hire would mirror Minter, Orr would mirror Macdonald. Orr has no college experience, but like Macdonald, he comes with valuable connections. Orr played his high school football at Texas powerhouse Desoto and played college ball at North Texas. Where Macdonald had connections to Georgia, maybe Orr's connections to Texas would prove fruitful.

If not as sole defensive coordinator, Michigan has to kick the tires on Orr as a possibility for their open linebacker position. Would Orr leave Baltimore for a lateral move to Michigan? It's likely not, but maybe a co-DC role with Clink, for instance? Either way, when it comes to the Ravens' connections, he makes the most sense.

A popular name to replace Jesse Minter if he had left in 2022 was former Wisconsin defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard. Leonhard is a former Badger and NFL player who started coaching at Wisconsin in 2016. When the Badgers chose to hire Luke Fickell over him, Leonhard declined an offer to stay on as Wisconsin DC.

Leonhard had offers after the 2022 season but elected to take a year off and instead worked as an analyst for Illinois. Leonhard's scheme comes from what he learned from former Wisconsin DC and current Baylor head coach Dave Aranda. What Leonhard does with his defense isn't too far off from Michigan. He uses multiple look fronts, 2-4-5, 4-2-5, 3-4, and even 3-3-5. He likes to disguise pressure by crowding the line and then dropping some players into coverage. There is enough symmetry there to make it work.

Leonhard's best case is he's been a successful defensive coordinator in the Big Ten. Does he want to do that again, and at Michigan? With the Green Bay Packers firing Joe Barry, many are already making the connection between Leonhard and the Packers. They were reportedly interested in him before they hired Barry, but he ultimately chose to return to Wisconsin.

If Sherrone Moore wants to dig into his own connections with one of his first big decisions as Michigan head coach, the name to watch is Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt. Hurtt and Moore worked together at Louisville under head coach Charlie Strong.

Hurtt hasn't been in college since leaving Louisville to coach DL for the Bears in 2014. He spent three seasons in Chicago before moving over to Seattle and eventually taking over the defense for the Seahawks in 2022. What Hurtt tried to do in Seatlle was not the Legion of Boom, and he switched Seattle to a 3-4 scheme. Hurtt also worked with now former Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai in 2022. Desai comes from the Vic Fangio tree, which has some crossover obviously with what the Harbaugh's run on defense.

Hurtt improved Seattle's defense in 2023, but it was hardly an elite unit. The Seahawks moved on from Pete Carroll this offseason, so Hurtt would be available. Would Moore want "his own guy" in the role? Is there a different path where Hurtt joins the staff in an assistant role and there is a collaborative effort with Clink and/or Elston?

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