3 reasons Michigan Football won’t repeat as Big Ten champs
By Nick Popio
2. The defense lost too many transformational talents
There will be no more Aidan Hutchinson or David Ojabo or Josh Ross or Dax Hill to lean on for this version of Michigan’s defense.
Replacing them will take an indescribable amount of hard work by more than just four players to fill their shoes. They set the bar higher than anyone has seen in Ann Arbor for quite a lengthy period of time.
Braiden McGregor is probably the closest thing to Hutchinson from a mirror image standpoint, but he’s not likely going to be the next Hutchinson. He has set some lofty goals for himself to lead the team in sacks, which Hutchinson did, but McGregor has done nothing up to this point to warrant this happening.
These four dudes should play a huge role in #Michigan’s defense this fall. pic.twitter.com/YFqgctijMV
— Brandon Brown (@BSB_Wolverine) July 18, 2022
Junior Colson is probably the guy who will be an upgrade to Josh Ross as the man in the middle of the unit. He’s garnering a little attention now, but expect that to ramp up as the opener draws nearer. Jaylen Harrell and Mike Morris will be touted to manage Ojabo’s roles, while Will Johnson will be counted on to play a similar role to Hill.
Regardless of all these critical losses, Michigan’s defense will almost certainly take a step backward in 2022.