There were a lot of things that were hard to explain about the way Wink Martindale handled the Michigan football defense the past two seasons.
The playcalling was good and bad. At times, it was way too aggressive. When Wink dialed it back, the defense tended to shine, at least when the best players were on the field.
However, as shocking as it was, that didn't always happen. Derrick Moore, the only First-Team All-Big Ten player on the defense, was a prime example. He barely played more than 50 percent of the snaps last season. What was worse is the rotations made no sense.
It was almost like a rotation between the starters and the backups at times. Looking back, it was still hard to figure out. There is certainly a need to keep players fresh, but Michigan's defensive staff took it to another level last season. At times, it felt like the NFL preseason.
Looking ahead to this season, Michigan football fans won't have to worry about this season. In an interview with Jon Jansen on the In The Trenches podcast, defensive tackle Enow Etta shed some light on Hill's philosophy.
Jay Hill won't be resting Michigan football's best defenders
"(Jay Hill) told us straight up: 'You guys are going to be playing more snaps than you've ever played,'" Etta said. "So for me, it's how long can I put my best foot forward?"Â
Hill might be talking about the defensive tackle room specifically, but it will be good to see the starters playing more this season. Developing depth is a good idea. You need more than defenders, especially with the rise of sub-package defenses.
But if Hill's words prove to be accurate, the snap counts will be much more reasonable this season. That's just one way that the new coaching staff is a major upgrade. Etta also hinted that things weren't great with the strength staff either.
"The new strength staff has done a hell of a job," Etta said. "Where I'm at right now from where I was in January, it's really insane. It almost begs the question, 'Man, what have I been doing?' almost. Because the way my 225 bench has gone up in these last few months is insane."
If that growth in the weight room translates to the field, Etta should be one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten. And the good news is that under Hill, he will actually stay on the field.
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