Michigan's defensive backfield is getting healthier and more dangerous

Michigan Wolverines football was shorthanded at cornerback during a 30-27 win over Nebraska Sept. 20, but saw some depth pieces step up. The Maize and Blue had three freshmen in at the position down the stretch, including Elijah Dotson and Shamari Earls. The third is Jayden Sanders, a Kilgore, Texas, native who’s actually started the last two games and has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season.

Senior Zeke Berry was out for the game, his second consecutive, while junior Jyaire Hill went out with an injury late in the contest. The Wolverines did allow a late touchdown to make it a three-point game, but the defense held its own for the most part, including those freshmen.

Sanders, a summer enrollee, has been a revelation so far this season, and made some key open-field tackles versus the Cornhuskers.

“It’s been huge, man,” head coach Sherrone Moore said on the ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio show. “I remember me and [defensive coordinator] Wink [Martindale], it was maybe the fifth or sixth day of training camp. Wink came up to me and was like, ‘That guy’s going to help us this year.’ I was like, ‘I think so.’ And it came to fruition.”

Michigan will get healthier at cornerback, though, including key pieces back as early as this week’s game against Wisconsin. Berry, Hill and perhaps even graduate Caleb Anderson are all trending in the right direction. The Wolverines have also been without sophomore Tevis Metcalf, who hasn’t played since the Aug. 30 game against New Mexico.

“So, having [Sanders], having ‘Sug’ [Hill] I think we’ll get Zeke back,” Moore continued. “Big chance we’ll get Caleb Anderson back, too. He’s been out for a little bit. If we get that guy back and all of those guys back, it’s just going to add the depth and what we need for that room.”

A 6-foot-2, 185-pounder, Hill had an up-and-down opener against New Mexico but has been solid since. He’s made 15 tackles, including 2 for loss and a sack, with 3 pass breakups in four tilts.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Moore said when asked if he’s getting enough out of Hill. “I feel like ‘Sug’ is playing at a really high level. He just continues to get better. He’s playing physical, he’s playing decisive and playing within the system and playing to his skill set. He’s extremely fast, he can run, but he’s also playing with great eyes and great ability.”

Michigan’s safeties saw graduate Rod Moore get his first game action in over 600 days — since the Jan. 8, 2024 national championship against Washington — when he logged 21 defensive snaps in the victory over Nebraska.

“Yeah, for sure you will,” Moore said when asked if Rod Moore’s role will only grow. “He feels good.

“I mean, he’s just the OG Rod, taking care of his body, doing what he needs to do. He was out there at practice yesterday, running around, moving around. He feels great. And I’m sure there is going to be a little soreness and things not having played football and hit people in a while, but he’s eager to keep getting more and more and more, and he will.”

Moore does a lot for Michigan’s secondary, not only in terms of the plays he’s capable of making. He helps the Wolverines get in the right alignment, communicate between position groups and make the right adjustments.

“He’s a fixer,” Moore explained. “He understands the defense from a balcony view. He sees the front, he sees the linebackers, he sees the coverage. He understands how it all pieces together, and he understands the adjustments.

“When you hear him talk, he talks like a coach. He talks exactly how we would say it. You wish all of the players would do that, but that’s not how it works. That’s not how it works in football, but he does.

“To have Rod back on the field is priceless, and he just does everything the way you want it done.”