Michigan Football: 3 freshmen that can start right away in 2019

Daxton Hill could start at CB, safety or nickel

One of the biggest issues for Michigan in 2018 was the way that the defense fell apart in the last two games against Ohio State and Florida.

There were a lot of different factors that caused those failures but one thing that didn’t help was the poor play of the secondary. Defensive coordinator certainly didn’t help by asking his 5-foot-10 corners to match up man-to-man with big, fast receivers. He also had some linebackers in difficult one-on-one matchups.

Michigan needs to get away from playing man coverage all the time. But if it’s going to play man-to-man, it better have guys that can do it and Daxton Hill is one of those guys.

While he has been recruited as a safety, he can also play corner and is comfortable covering man-to-man in the slot. He’s 6-foot and runs the 40 in 4.3. Whether he’s starting at safety or nickel corner, he’s unlike any other player on the roster and Michigan football needs to find a way to use him right away.

With his coverage ability, speed and tackling prowess, Hill could make a really positive impact on the defense, especially play nickel corner the way Jabrill Peppers used to.