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USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Brandyn Hillman says Michigan's reloaded defense to shine in 2025 despite NFL draft losses
Brandyn Hillman says Michigan's reloaded defense to shine in 2025 despite NFL draft losses DETROIT -- With Michigan football having lost several key defensive players to the NFL draft -- first-rounders Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, second-rounder Will Johnson, and third-rounder Josaiah Stewart -- many across college football don't have high expectations for the Wolverine defense. Yet, the unit that was No. 10 in the country a year ago in total defense is ready to reload, and it's shown that it's capable of dominating, even without those aforementioned stars. Against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, nine of this year's expected 11 starters defensively were on the field at the outset of the game, while many others factored in. That group held a formidable, full-strength Crimson Tide offense to just 13 points. One of the stars of that game was safety Brandyn Hillman, who is now entering his junior year. Expected to start this year, Hillman believes that the defense showcased its ability in the ReliaQuest Bowl and that it will improve upon what was seen last year -- especially the lapses in the early season in 2024. "In one of my other interviews, I kind of said, in my opinion, we're the best in the country -- I mean the best group in the country up front and in the back end," Hillman said on the Locked On Wolverines Podcast. "The back end, we're real young, real young guys like me, Jyaire Hill, TJ Metcalf, Tevis Metcalf, Jacob Oden -- like everybody young. We're all around the same age, and then the guys up front, we're known for that, and it's never a step off. It's never a step off. Y'all seen it from the Alabama game. We didn't have Mason, K.G., but it wasn't a step off. You still out there getting to the quarterback. So I feel like it's a big year coming up, my guys ready. I'm ready to come out to show it." Hillman had already braved quite a bit of depth at the safety position to find himself in the rotation a year ago. Now he's expected to start, but with the room getting deeper with a trio of four-star freshmen and the Metcalf brothers transferring from Arkansas, there's even more competition at the position. The same can be said of the defensive tackle position, which added Clemson transfer Tré Williams and Alabama transfer Damon Payne. Particularly at defensive back, how does the competition help and how does it hinder? "In my opinion, just be consistent, know what you got to do," Hillman said. "The defense got to trust you. I mean, yeah, you can be the best player, but if you're out there on the field, nobody trusts you on the back end or on the island by yourself with that receiver, it's like -- I don't know if I want to put you in. But if you're consistent, showing it at practice, doing what you got to do, that's how you separate yourself from everybody else. And I take pride in myself for doing that. And I think I did that." Michigan fans will get a chance to see the defense in action starting on August 30 when the Wolverines host New Mexico for the 2025 season opener at The Big House.
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan's defense raves over Bryce Underwood's elite skills in 2025 spring ball
Michigan's defense raves over Bryce Underwood's elite skills in 2025 spring ball DETROIT -- The expectations for Michigan football freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood couldn't be any higher. Though the former five-star shared reps with redshirt freshman Jadyn Davis this spring, all eyes are on the 2025 No. 1 overall recruit as he's expected to win the starting job -- even when Mikey Keene returns from injury. During spring ball, all quarterback conversations that Underwood's teammates had with the media also included Davis and how he was doing. But now that we've gotten to see both in the spring game, Underwood's ability is undeniable. Even the defensive players aren't just singing his praises, they're gushing about his play -- something that could certainly help them out should the offense have more success sustaining drives this season. A former high school quarterback breaks down Underwood's game Michigan junior safety Brandyn Hillman isn't just a defensive standout poised to enter the starting lineup this year, but he was a quarterback at the high school level. Though he no longer plays the position in college, he not only still knows about it, but he is tasked with defending Underwood's throws in practice. He told WolverinesWire (via the Locked On Wolverines Podcast) that he sees a signal caller that is far beyond his years compared to other freshmen or young quarterbacks. "So Bryce, in my opinion -- real polished," Hillman said. "I played quarterback in high school, so it's not like I was out there just running quarterback. You could put on a tape -- I played quarterback. I could look at a quarterback -- Bryce's real polished. He's ahead of the game. Certain quarterbacks, when they get into a college atmosphere, they can't pick up the game because it's moving so fast. Bryce came in day one, it was smooth for him. He got an arm, his eyes, his arm's live. It's just certain things. You got to pick up defensive coverages. Sometimes we move certain coverages to (expletive deleted) his head up, (expletive deleted) like that." Hillman is noting that no matter what Wink Martindale and the defense does, Underwood is learning and improving, understanding that there's a lot he doesn't know. But he appears to innately understand what it takes to play at the college level. Underwood's progress from bowl prep to post-spring ball It's not usual that freshmen start at quarterback and thrive -- and even when they do, it's not usually right out of the gates. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence didn't get to start until Week 5, with Kelly Bryant taking the reins initially. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa sat behind Jalen Hurts until late in the national championship game his freshman year. Fifth-year defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny thinks that Underwood getting to play against the first-string Michigan defense in spring ball has helped the freshman phenom enormously. "Just within this short little time -- part of it, I think, he already had the ability, but just him seeing it from us on a daily basis and being able to have pocket awareness, I think that's good training and that's what's going to translate into the season," Benny said. "And, when the time comes, he's gonna show that everything was worth it and all the work paid off. He's just locked in on all the details, and he tries to make everything like a learning experience. " But it's not just about being thrown into the fire. Hillman notes that despite Underwood's youth, he's still got a lot to learn. However, the great news is that he has shown that he has the work ethic to thrive, even if it is in year one. "He's young. He's still got to get into the playbook and get into everything, learn everything," Hillman said. "So long as he keeps doing what he got to do now -- because right now he's doing everything that he's supposed to do. I'm not going to say too much what he's supposed to be doing, but he's doing everything right. "And then, just got to keep being him. He's a good kid -- off the field and everything. You won't see Bryce like, 'Oh, I'm the biggest, baddest guy.' It's Bryce. He's a cool guy." Fans will likely get their next opportunity to see Underwood in action on August 30 when Michigan football hosts New Mexico for the 2025 season opener at The Big House.
