Michigan football's defense has officially caught the nation's attention.
Through two weeks under new defensive coordinator Jay Hill, the Wolverines are tied for No. 30 nationally in total defense (255 yards per game) and, perhaps more importantly and impressively, are tied for No. 18 in the country in scoring defense (11 points per game).
It's all the more impressive considering U-M played top-10 Oklahoma, which put up 51 points in its season opener.
"I mean, it might have been a surprise to a lot of people, but we knew that was our standard," defensive tackle Enow Etta said Tuesday following U-M's practice. "We're going to continue to put that on tape every week."
Michigan is yet to put together a complete game together, but much of that has been
on the offense's inability to get in a rhythm. The Wolverines have had 21 drives, four of which have ended in touchdowns. Of those, one came on a Hail Mary to win the opener against Western Michigan, the other came on the heels of a Jyaire Hill interception that set Jason Beck's attack up with first-and-goal at the 6.
In essence, only three of the other 19 drives have yielded points; 14 have ended with punts, two with turnovers.
It hasn't put the defense in particularly auspicious positions, but that hasn't seemed to matter. U-M's allowed just one touchdown in eight quarters and has held offenses to just three field goals on four trips into the red zone.
As edge John Henry Daley (whom coach Kyle Whittingham on his recent appearance on Inside Michigan Football said has the nickname of the "Vanilla Gorilla") referenced after the OU game, it's not "offense and defense, it's Michigan football." Hill's unit is more than happy to shoulder the load to help rack up the wins, while it also aims to uphold a standard that the players pledged to continue when they committed to U-M.
"It's Michigan, so Michigan is [defined] by great defenses," linebacker Chase Taylor said. "You know, we want to keep that standard high. So, yeah, we take a lot of pride in defense."
This group ... well, it's aiming rather high. Hill's scheme has been compared to that of Jesse Minter's, the architect of the 2023 national championship team's defense that is perhaps the best Michigan unit in the modern era. There's a combination of various fronts, exotic looks − man and zone blitzes, simulated pressures and disguised coverages − and an overall talented group.
Daley comes in as an All-American. Dominic Nichols has emerged as one of the best edge rushers in the nation. Hill, Zeke Berry, Rod Moore and Smith Snowden in the back end could all be playing on Sunday one day.
Behind them, there's a former highly rated recruit who needed to wait his turn, Shamari Earls. The one-time Georgia commit who flipped to U-M has seen the field has taken 36 snaps on defense in two weeks after playing just 72 all of 2025. He wasn't shy about the group's expectations.
"Michigan's 2023 defense is coming back," he said. "Coach Hill did [have a goal to emulate that defense]. He was big on that in the 2021 defense, and really, we're trying to be better than them. ... Coach Hill told us when he first came in, he watched a lot of the film."
This group is still earning its stripes. Sure, there have been good signs − like Chris Bracy racing from more than 20 yards away from a play to punch a ball out and force a fumble. Or a previously unproven linebacker in Troy Bowles who leads the team in tackles through two weeks. Or a true freshman, Tariq Boney, who likely would've had a sack on John Mateer last weekend had a he not been held (twice) on a play.
Hill's scheme is said to be complicated, but to this point, the Wolverines show they have a very solid understanding of its requirements. Now, their requirements are to continue on their current trajectory. If they do, Daley being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Hill being named national defensive back of the week won't be one-offs.
They'll be the beginning of a trend.
"It's always tough making comparisons," said defensive tackle Enow Etta of how this team is trending in comparison to 2023. "But what I will say is, one thing I like is it wasn't hard to get guys bought in ... I think that's why we can put a good product on the field and will continue to do that."
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Led by 'Vanilla Gorilla,' Michigan football defense off to dominant start
