Michigan Football: 3 takeaways from the Big Ten media days

3. Makari Paige says there will be no "drop-off" on defense

The senior safety was confident when he was bragging about his side of the ball. He dropped some names like Zeke Berry, Ja'Den McBurrows and others as to who will be players who join him in leading one of the nation's top defenses.

Paige also stated that what he thinks of Ohio State, "a dub, a win." He said they respect them, but on gameday there is disrespect. His teammate Donovan Edwards said that "it's fine" having the Buckeyes as the favorite to win the Big Ten in 2024. Pretty much all of the Big Ten network analysts all predicted the Buckeyes to face Oregon in a rematch in December.

Edwards may have surprised some people with his statement about still wanting to earn the starting back role on offense. He said he still wants to "outcompete" the other backs. With the way Michigan football uses their halfbacks, expecting a lot of ball carriers this fall is always the likelihood of their offense. When push comes to shove though, Edwards will probably be the guy with the ball in his hands the most.

Edwards will do what is best for the team and that he can be a 25 carry a game back if needed too. He'll be a receiver when the time comes, but also wants his fellow teammates to get carries also. You can tell he learned well from Blake Corum about being humble.