Michigan Coach Jernaro Gilford Singles Out Standout Cornerbacks Ahead of 2026 Season

The Wolverines should have a stellar secondary this season and it all starts with the corners.

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With summer conditioning right around the corner, one of the strongest position groups for Michigan's defense is supposed to be the defensive line, according to Kyle Whittingham this spring. But while the corners could lack depth, that's another group that should shine for the Maize and Blue this fall.

The Wolverines return starters Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, while adding former Utah starter Smith Snowden to the mix. Those three could anchor, what's possibly, the best corner trio in the Big Ten this fall. The Wolverines also return Shamari Earls, who was a high-touted corner in the 2025 recruiting class.

Appearing on In the Trenches recently, new cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford spoke about which of his corners have stood out.

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"First off, Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry. They both showed that they’re efficient in man and zone, and they have a high IQ for the game," Gilford recently said. "That was one thing that really, really stood out for me. The way that they took the coaching and applied it to the field, especially with everything being so new.

"And then we had some young guys. Shamari Earls, a big, long guy who can run, had his ups and downs, but by the end of spring ball, he came around. And then everybody else is just kind of young, and we have to continue to develop those guys. A guy like Smith Snowden came over from Utah, didn’t get as much live as everybody else, but when he stepped on the field, you can tell like, okay, he’s going to be a player."

Smith Snowden brings experience

Not only will Smith Snowden step in on Day 1 and likely start at either Nickel or corner, but he can be used in a variety of ways. The Wolverines clearly brought him over to help the defense, but he also knows how to make plays offensively and on special teams.

Last season, Snowden had 37 tackles, 11 PBUs, along with two interceptions, and on offense, Snowden caught 13 passes for 57 yards, while carrying the ball eight times for 40 yards, scoring one touchdown.

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Coming from Utah, he is familiar with what's going to be ran in Michigan. Yes, even though Jay Hill is the defensive coordinator, coming from BYU — along with Gilford. Hill coached under Whittingham and a lot of what Hill does comes from the Whittingham tree.

"Experience in his defense, you know what I mean? A similar style defense, coach Jay Hill was already with Coach Whitt, you know what I mean," Gilford said. "So he knows everything that’s going on. He knows the calls. He knows all the adjustments from the shifts and motions and stuff like that. And then a guy who’s cat quick, who has man coverage and ball skills."

Michigan will be littered with talent defensively this season, and if the Wolverines can get back to their 2023 ways, something Hill wants, Michigan could revive itself as a top-10 defense in 2026.