Michigan opens camp with wide-open secondary: ‘Nobody’s crowned’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While depth is the preseason buzzword with the Michigan football defense, that doesn’t mean everything is all figured out.

In fact, it sounds just the opposite in the secondary.

While the Wolverines spent the spring moving players around on the back end, it’s been more of the same during the start of preseason camp, defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale told reporters on Saturday.

“We’re still mixing and matching,” Martindale said. “Youth, experience, everything else. It’s a great competition.”

While returners Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, a former safety, are the frontrunners to start at cornerback, Martindale seems focused this August on identifying reliable help on the outside.

Transfer Caleb Anderson, a veteran with 13 career starts at Louisiana, could be an option. Freshman Shamari Earls turned enough heads in spring to warrant some snaps.

“We’ve got to get some of these younger guys ready to go, because our lack of depth there at corner especially,” Martindale said.

Things are even messier on the inside. No one has emerged at nickel, though Berry has the experience and sophomore Mason Curtis, transfer TJ Metcalf and Brandyn Hillman are all positioned for extensive playing time this fall.

Where, though, is the question mark — something Martindale and his staff have a few weeks to iron out.

“We haven’t even posted a depth chart yet, because you don’t need to,” Martindale said. “We divide them maize and blue because of the (school) bridge program and all that stuff, but there’s going to be great competition at every position.”

The wildcard in the secondary is former all-Big Ten safety Rod Moore, who could be an impact player once he returns. An ACL tear left him sidelined for all of 2024, and he’s been slow to recover following a second procedure to repair a torn meniscus in the same knee, but he’s back running and cutting.

Having him back to full speed would help things. In the meantime, the Wolverines may have to look to former transfer Jaden Mangham and sophomores Jo’Ziah Edmond and Jacob Oden for help.

“It could be one guy one day, then somebody that you’re thinking might be a year away or six months away or two months away all of a sudden runs off four practices in a row and you’re (left contemplating),” Martindale said. “I’ve never coached with anybody that didn’t want to play the best players. And that’s what training camp is about and what makes it so exciting if you’re an old-school football.

“So, nobody’s crowned.”