With six starters departing (defensive ends Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary, defensive tackle Bryan Mone, linebacker Devin Bush, cornerback David Long and safety Tyree Kinnel) from a Michigan defense that finished second in the country in 2018 (just 275.2 yards allowed per game), most think it's inevitable the crew will take a step back next season.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown has proven, however, that significant attrition hasn't always had a negative impact on his ensuing units during his three seasons at U-M.
The best example of this was following the 2016 campaign (his first year in Ann Arbor) and heading into 2017.
The Wolverines lost 10 starters from a 2016 defense that ended the year with the best group in the country, and yet concluded 2017 with almost identical statistics, allowing just 9.2 yards more per game.
Although Michigan's 2016 and 2017 defenses statistically finished worse each of the ensuing seasons, not much stock should be put into it because of how similar the results were.
In fact, the numbers were almost identical, with the consistency of Brown's defenses being the main takeaway from the chart above.
The 2017 unit yielded 271 yards per game and the 2018 crew 275.2, which were just 9.2 and 13.4 yards, respectively, behind his best mark of 261.8 in 2016.
In other words, all three of Brown's defenses at U-M have finished within 13.4 yards of one another, displaying an incredible habit of consistency.
Due to the six starters departing from this past year's 2018 unit, many have already pegged the 2019 crew to conclude the year outside the nation's top-10 (and perhaps even top-15).
That would seem unlikely, however, if history is any indication, seeing as how no Michigan defense has finished lower than third in college football (out of 130 teams) in Brown's three seasons at the helm.
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