When Jesse Minter was announced as the next defensive coordinator for Michigan, the hire was polarizing for some within the fan base. Some of the chatter was around hiring "another Ravens guy" or the fact Minter was coming from Vanderbilt, and frankly a lot of it was just ignorance about Jesse Minter. In my first article for The Maize and Blue Review, "Dissecting the Jesse Minter Defense", I tried to introduce people to Minter and why I thought keeping so much of the defensive scheme was crucial. Minter agrees and knows it played a role in his hire.
In a recent press conference Minter said, "I think one of my goals with the players was for those guys that feel like it was year two, probably one of the reasons I’m here. And so I think there’s a lot of continuity in the system."
Continuity. There are buzz words essential to the success of this defense, and continuity is right near the top. Minter will be Michigan's third defensive coordinator in three seasons. Michigan took huge strides in their new scheme last season and the defense was crucial to the B1G Championship. For years under Don Brown, the Michigan defense was consistently one of the better units statistically in the country but struggled in big games, especially against rival Ohio State.
Michigan is looking to build on the success they have achieved and not become complacent. On the defensive side of the ball a lot of production and leadership is heading to the NFL. With so many players who contributed in limited roles last year being asked to step up, keeping as much of the scheme the same as possible will only aid the transition.
The biggest shoes to fill belong to Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. The two edge rushers combined for 25 sacks in 2021 while the rest of the defense combined for 9. As much as the two future pros thrived in Macdonald's defense, Michigan did an excellent job of scheming the defense to the talents of its players. Coordinators can come in with preferences but the best coordinators adapt to their players. They form the defense around their players, not the other way around. Macdonald was excellent at this in 2021 and Minter says that will continue.
"I think our system is flexible enough to take advantage of the playmakers. Last year, the playmakers were the edge guys, you know, it was pretty clear. And so the defense was built around that. And, you know, hopefully, that we have edge guys come on. And I think we have to have enough options there. But I also think it’s figuring out who the best players are taking advantage of each of their skill sets. So I like what we have coming back."
Flexible. Another essential buzz word. What made the Michigan defense so great was how versatile it could be. This allowed Michigan to scheme to strength, overcome injuries, and game plan to the different offenses they would see each week. Minter saw that the need for that flexibility first hand at Vanderbilt, "There’s much more variation week to week of, you know, in the SEC, we, you know, you played Mississippi State one week who run the air raid, you played Georgia the next week, who’s gonna line up and 12 and 13 personnel and try to run the ball down your throat. So the variation and having a versatile scheme that can match up on all that."
So the question isn't as simple as, 'who replaces Hutch and Ojabo?' In 2021 they were the playmakers and Michigan took advantage. Minter lays out a plan where, yes edge guys will need to step up, but 2022 isn't about replicating the exact performance of last year's defense. It's about doing the same things with skills and scheme to replicate the success. It all starts now with spring camps, figuring out who those guys will be this year, that Michigan builds the defense around.
If you follow me at all, you know a name I have been pushing this year has been Mazi Smith. Pressure can come in many different forms in a defense. One way to make things easier for the new edge rushers is to get better pressure up the middle. Last season, Smith was tasked more with consuming blocks and filling lanes which allowed Hutchinson and Ojabo to work on the outside. He thrived in that role, but now as a Senior leader who is in the best physical shape of his life, Mazi's role will change.
Minter recently said of Mazi, "I think upfront it starts with Mazi. I think he has the potential to be a dominant player for us. He’s played a lot. He’s played a good amount of snaps. He’s been in a role in the defense where he was asked to do some things have taken up blocks and all that, and he’ll still do that. He’s tremendous at that. But I also think there’s an opportunity for him to become a playmaker and use his skill set. I think he’s quick, fast, big, physical, it’s what you want in a nose."
Playmakers. So in a defense Minter wants to build around its playmakers, he identifies Mazi Smith as one of those potential guys who can dominate. Michigan hasn't add a DT who can collapse the pocket like Smith since Mo Hurst. If Smith is able to create a consistent pass rush up the middle, it forces the quarterback out of the pocket and into the rushing lanes of edge rushers. This creates a lot of options for a Michigan defense that is full of players who possess the size and speed to get into the backfield from the edge, flat, and secondary. A few names have stood out early in camp, two potential replacements for Hutchinson, and one who can add a new dynamic to the linebacker position.
A name that has come up often in the "Who will replace Hutch?" sweepstakes has been Mike Morris. TMBR's Josh Henschke's piece "Mike Morris knows he's the next man up and is ready for the challenge" covers Morris' thoughts on the opportunity, and the fact it is now his turn to step up and make plays. Minter says, they are already seeing it.
"Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw are guys that have had good springs that I think will be guys that can make plays for us. I think Junior Colson has a chance to be an elite linebacker here." A clear picture starts to come together with Morris and Taylor Upshaw on the edge, Mazi Smith up the middle, Jaylen Harrell at the SAM, and sophomore Junior Colson at LB. These are the guys who have played in limited roles, know this defense, and will now become the keys to the adjustments Minter makes.
The foundation is there with scheme and terminology. The defense works there is no need to sell it to the players again. But Minter isn't just here to serve as some sort of proxy Mike Macdonald. He is an excellent coach in his own right, with plenty of experience. Leading this defense will be about implementing his own ideas into an already solid scheme and also taking input from an very talented and loaded assistant coaching staff.
"And so there’s ideas that things that I’ve done, things that other coaches that we have on staff have done in previous places. And so we’ll always look to find a better way to do things. I think that’s what a good coach, what a good staff does is always try to take that next step. So, there’ll be some things that may look different, but I think a lot of them look the same."
At this point, the vision is clear. Like last season, Jim Harbaugh came into this offseason with a plan. 2021 was a program changing season, affirmation for a head coach who made a decision to completely retool the way he built a staff. The way his football team practices, game planned, and executed on Saturdays. The changes were good, they worked, and the Wolverines are going to continue to build on them. Bringing in Minter was about continuity, flexibility, and playmaking. He knows that and the team knows that. In terms of identity, you don't need to look farther than that.
"I think it’s going to be a team defense, where you do what’s best for the team, but also where we’ll try to do things to showcase different guys every week."
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