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ESPN analyst ranks Michigan secondary in top 10
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- ESPN analyst ranks Michigan secondary in top 10
The Michigan football defense is expected to rebound a bit this year with Kyle Whittingham and Jay Hill taking over the charge, but the defensive front has been getting all of the attention. However, ESPN's Greg McElroy says that the Wolverines ' secondary should be getting much more attention.
Recently, McElroy put together a ranking of the top 10 secondaries in college football, and the maize and blue made the cut, being among the better back ends in college football in his estimation.
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"We'll go next to No. 8 -- that's the Michigan Wolverines ," McElroy said. "When you think about Michigan's secondary entering into '26, it probably hasn't gotten enough attention. You get both starting corners back for the third consecutive year. Jyaire Hill is an all-Big Ten corner entering in his final year in Ann Arbor. Zeke Berry is his running mate, also third year as a starter. You had Smith Snowden from Utah as a legitimate nickel presence. Guy's got 24 career starts and was second-team All-Big 12 last year. It's one of the better transfer portal acquisitions in the conference in this cycle.
"At safety, you got Mason Curtis and Rod Moore provide really experienced depth. And while it is a new defensive coordinator in Jay Hill, who was brought in from BYU -- he built one of the better defenses in the country last year, especially in the red zone, and a secondary that led the conference in interceptions last year. So his entire defensive system is built around creating havoc up front, but also making sure those defensive backs are extremely sound. And Hill won't necessarily be asking these corners to survive in coverage. These corners might be asked to do a little bit more, but they're not going to give up big plays. They're going to be very sound. And I like this group kind of across the board. They check in at No. 8, and the experience is a big reason why."
Also potentially noteworthy are second-year cornerback Shamari Earls and Memphis safety transfer Chris Bracy, who could see big roles with the Wolverines this year. Rod Moore, if fully healthy, is more than just a veteran presence who can help out -- he could be the verifiable star in the back-end of the defense, especially if he puts his football knowledge on display while in pads.
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But having Hill and Berry returning for yet another year is big for the Wolverines, as both had started games in 2024 (Hill didn't go full-time that season, but started every game last year). The maize and blue certainly do have a lot of good experience, and with this new coaching staff, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them reach new heights.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: ESPN analyst ranks Michigan secondary in top 10
