Jesse Minter Is Elite
After the 2021 season, everyone just knew that Michigan's defense was going to take a sizable step backwards. After all, teams typically don't rebound very well after losing a Broyles Award Finalist defensive coordinator like Mike Macdonald, along with three first-round talents in Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Daxton Hill. But, Jim Harbaugh and incoming DC Jesse Minter had other plans.
Minter was hired by the Wolverines on Feb. 9, 2022, after spending one season as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator. Vandy hasn't been very good at football in a long time and Minter's defense wasn't any different. People were skeptical, but trusted Harbaugh after the Macdonald hire, and it could not have been any better.
Minter instantly became a perfect fit for the Wolverines and players were talking about him and his scheme like they had been playing in it for multiple years despite just picking it up in spring ball. Still, feeling good about it and talking confidently about it in the spring is a far cry from implementing on the field in the fall. Minter had a tough task ahead of him as he was asked to figure out how to replace the production by Hutchinson and Ojabo. Minter, however, figured it out.
In 2021, Macdonald orchestrated the No. 20 defensive in the country. Minter came in and improved that by 14 spots, giving U-M the No. 6 overall defense in the nation in 2022. Macdonald's pass defense ranked No. 27 nationally, while Minter's checked in at No. 20. Macdonald's rush defense finished the season at No. 27, whereas MInter's was easily inside the top ten at No. 7. Minter's defense had 16 takeaways compared to Macdonald's 14. Macdonald's defense recorded 34 sacks, while Minter's unit accounted for 37 — without Hutchinson and Ojabo.
To put it bluntly — Minter is the real deal.
That's why Pro Football Focus sees Minter as the second best defensive coordinator in the entire country.
I understand Phil Parker being in the No. 1 slot. He's been in Iowa City forever, has an impeccable system in place that always seems to get the job done and he has definitely done more with less at a place like Iowa, but I'll still take Minter. After watching what Minter did last year, between adjusting on the fly and at halftime (wow), applying pressure on the quarterback from all three levels and actually improving on the incredible sack numbers put up by Hutchinson and Ojabo from the year before and having a damn-near perfect plan in place each week (minus that last game), he's proven to be elite. And this year, with potentially an even more talented defense, the sky is the limit.
