Jay Hill promises fast and physical Michigan defense

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

New Michigan football defensive coordinator Jay Hill said this spring that his defense reminds of the one that Jesse Minter ran in Ann Arbor in 2022-23. So, though it won't be precisely the same, it does look to be the spiritual successor to that which helped propel the Wolverines to three straight College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship.

It's not that the defense wasn't good the past two seasons — it statistically was — but something was missing. Now, the former BYU DC has come to Ann Arbor to help elevate it to another level, and he thinks that Michigan will be able to contend defensively right away.

He shared more on a video posted by Michigan football itself.

"I think we'll fly around as good as anybody," Hill said. "We'll have speed. We'll have toughness and physicality. But we give more looks than the big majority of the defenses out there. That's in the front. That's in the secondary. We're used to getting lots of turnovers. I would anticipate that that continues.

"We want guys that are going to change the game at corner and at safety. The game's changed a little bit to where those guys get in space a little bit more than they used to. We need to have guys that can get out there and run. We got to continue to keep that trend of big-time defensive tackles here at the University of Michigan."

The idea that these Wolverines already have what it takes is interesting, considering the personnel losses from a year ago. Three of the top defensive tackles are gone, as are three of the top edge rushers. The entire linebacking corps has been gutted, but the back-end remains mostly the same, minus a handful of players transferring out.

Michigan does need to improve in creating turnovers, and that's something that Hill has shown his defenses fully capable of. The Wolverines face a tough schedule this year, with some top-tier offenses such as Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State on the schedule. While those games are daunting, if Hill's unit can create some timely stops and turnovers, then perhaps the maize and blue can come up with a few surprises.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jay Hill brings an aggressive defensive style to Michigan football

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos