ANN ARBOR >> There is no doubt Michigan’s strength this spring and heading into the upcoming football season is defense.

Even with the departures of tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, edge Josaiah Stewart and cornerback Will Johnson — who will find out their NFL futures this week during the draft — coordinator Wink Martindale, entering his second season with the Wolverines, loves the depth and talent of this group.

The players, knowing many wondered how Michigan might replace all that talent, agree.

“I really feel like there’s no drop-off since last year,” edge Derrick Moore said after last Saturday’s spring game.

Graham and Grant are enormous losses but Michigan added tackles Damon Payne, a former Belleville High standout who transferred from Alabama, and Tre Williams from Clemson. The Wolverines also have Rayshaun Benny and Trey Pierce. The edge rushers include Moore, TJ Guy and Cam Brandt, while versatile linebacker Jaishawn Barham could be a bigger factor there this fall.

Martindale before the start of spring practice raved about the depth, particularly on the defensive line, and how the Wolverines will be able to liberally rotate.

“I could be here for a while talking about that,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said after the spring game, referring to the depth on defense. “You just talk about the whole defensive line, I feel like there’s 10 guys that can play. A guy that stood out (in the game) was (edge) Dom Nichols. Every day, it’s trying to figure out ways to block him, and TJ, and Derrick, and Cam Brandt up front. It’s Tre, it’s Rayshaun Benny, it’s Trey Pierce, it’s Enow Etta. So it’s a group of guys that have been really fun to watch, and watch them evaluate and push each other.

“And in the back end, it’s a slew of guys, but to watch a guy like Mason Curtis flying around, a 6-5 safety that can run, that can move, flips his hips, it’s been cool. Brandyn Hillman has really taken the next step to be one of those dynamic players in college football.”

The spring game was a chance for freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and sophomore quarterback Jadyn Davis to get extended play — and also for the running backs, including Michigan’s top two, Jordan Marshall and Alabama-transfer Justice Haynes. Marshall said it was tough for the offense to stack a few wins against the defense this spring.

“Maybe one, maybe two, and that says something,” Marshall said. “The saying defense wins championships, it’s real. When we won (the national championship) in ’23, that defense was like that.

“We moved the ball on them (this spring), don’t get me wrong, and it’s back and forth. It’s great going against (them). When I’m out there, I’m not going to see a better linebacker corps, front line of guys, DBs, these guys fly around. It’s a privilege going against them every single day. It’s going to make us so much better and these teams we play, they’re not gonna know what to do.”

Michigan led the nation in total defense (247.0 yards per game) in its national championship season of 2023 and followed that up by ranking 10th nationally in 2024 at 307.0.

Michigan continues to shape the offense under the direction of Chip Lindsey, the Wolverines’ new offensive coordinator. The staff is still working to figure out the starting offensive line (with three spots mostly spoken for), the receivers and who will start at quarterback, a decision not expected until just before the season.

Sherrone Moore believes the defense is the best Michigan’s offense will face, but at least at this point, that can be sometimes be challenging for an offense trying to develop confidence.

“I think mentally at some point in practice you get a little tired of those guys coming off the edge and all those different angles and the way they can attack you,” Moore said. “But ultimately, they know it’s going to make them better, and it has made them better already, so it’s been fun to watch the competitive nature of both sides. It’s really made the offense take it up to the next level.”

Marshall said Michigan’s offense will be explosive this season in part because of Lindsey’s scheme but also because of the Wolverines’ defense that has prepared them for anything and everything they might see.

“Again, we’re going against, whoever is out there, the best defense in the country,” Marshall said of Michigan’s defense. “That’s a privilege that I get to go against every single day.”