3 overreactions from Michigan Football win at Rutgers
By Nick Popio
3. Michael Barrett wouldn’t be on the field if Nikhai Hill-Green was healthy
This is as blatant as it gets for an overreaction. Barrett has earned his time and has had a rather fine year up to this point. It will most certainly be a day that he can tell his family about forever and it may even bestow the honor of announcing him as defensive player of the week in the Big Ten conference.
Barrett hasn’t seen the gridiron this much since 2020 when he was still in the viper role for Don Brown’s defense. Nikhai Hill-Green surpassed him last season and was penciled in as the starter until he got injured and hasn’t played a down of football in 2022. Barrett’s experience and hard work prepared him for this moment and it didn’t hurt that he was in the right place to read and pick off Wimsatt either.
Michael Barrett was the one who whiffed on the punt block TD. Will be interested to see how he responded down the stretch.
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) November 6, 2022
Hill-Green has some eligibility left so it wouldn’t be a shocker to see him back in 2023 as a starter unless he decides otherwise.
Next. 5 things we learned in Michigan win over Rutgers. dark
Barrett can vouch for another year if he is able to, but if he is not then he is making the most of this precious shot at starting on defense for one of the top units in the country.