Meet the contenders for Michigan's most wide open position battle that will be 'fun to watch'

Nickel back is one of the most important positions on Michigan Wolverines football‘s Baltimore Ravens-style defense that the program implemented with Mike Macdonald in 2021, Jesse Minter from 2022-23 and current coordinator Wink Martindale beginning in 2024.

In fall camp, which head coach Sherrone Moore said begins July 30, the Wolverines will conduct a wide search and competition for its next nickel back — a position that seems as up for grabs as a deep ball thrown into traffic.

“That’s a great question,” Moore responded when asked if it’s a wide open battle. “That competition is gonna be fun to watch because there are so many guys that can play.”

Safeties and cornerbacks took reps at nickel during Michigan’s 15 spring practices, and it’s hard to project a true leader heading into fall camp. The Wolverines will likely use multiple players — that have different primary positions, corner or safety — position coach LaMar Morgan said in the spring; Moore confirmed at Big Ten Media Days that’s still the plan.

“Obviously, [senior] Zeke [Berry] played it, but I see Zeke as a corner that could play nickel if we need him to,” Moore said. “There are so many dudes that can be in that position at different spots, at different areas of the field, in different situations that it’s gonna be a fun battle to have.

“All of the safeties are in it. A lot of the corners are in it. So, it’s gonna be cool to see. Even working [junior cornerback] Jyaire Hill a little bit there, too. To put different guys in different positions in that nickel spot will be fun.”

Last season was an interesting one at nickel. As Moore mentioned, Berry started the season there, and he fared well. However, once Will Johnson went down with what ended up being a season-ending injury, the Wolverines moved Berry outside to cornerback, and placed Makari Paige — a 6-foot-4 safety who’s now in the NFL — at nickel. Due to a number of factors, Michigan’s secondary played at an even higher level with that equation.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve done that before,” Moore said of having a bigger safety at nickel. “We’ve had bigger safeties there — not just Makari, but the year before we did that. We did a little bit with Makari the year before, and other guys.”

Paige was big for the position — and his length was a plus — but sophomore Mason Curtis is even rangier. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 but may be taller, and weighed 200 pounds last season.

“So, definitely an option for us, and a guy we could put there is a guy like Mason Curtis,” the Michigan coach continued. “He’d be another guy we can have there. [Junior safety] Brandyn Hillman is a guy we can have there. [Junior safety] TJ Metcalf, all of those guys. So, it’s gonna be a competition that’ll go throughout camp, and even guys will rotate in the season for.”

That’s about as wide open as it can get, and a position worth monitoring throughout fall camp.

Michigan cornerbacks behind Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill

Berry and Hill are Michigan’s two projected starters at outside cornerback, but depth is needed (just see last season as an example). Freshman Shamari Earls was the first name Moore mentioned behind them.

“I really like Zeke at corner,” Moore said. “He obviously showed high upside throughout the season, and feel like he’s gonna be in a good spot. 

“The other guy [other than Berry and Hill] that’s really standing out is Shamari Earls, the freshman corner. He’s 6-2, 200 pounds or 195, and super fast, super agile.”

Michigan brought in a graduate transfer in Caleb Anderson, who went through winter conditioning and spring practices with the Wolverines. Sophomore Jo’Ziah Edmond is in the mix, too, after receiving 38 defensive snaps last season.

“Caleb Anderson, the transfer from Louisiana — LaMar did a great job with him — another tall, long guy, kinda in the mold of the corners that we’ve brought in, the Josh Wallaces, the Aamir Halls, those guys that have come in and had really good senior years, graduate season years. Caleb kinda fits in that mold, too. And then JoJo Edmond is another guy that’ll fit in that fray.”