The 2024 season was a rollercoaster for Michigan football. Fresh off a national title in 2023, expectations were sky-high, but reality hit hard with five regular-season losses. Still, the Wolverines delivered in the moments that mattered most. They dominated Michigan State and stunned OSU in Columbus, keeping their biggest bragging rights intact. Now, as Sherrone Moore enters Year 2 at the helm after taking over for Jim Harbaugh, the pressure’s on.

While the bar is set high in Ann Arbor, the buzz is real.

Michigan keeps popping up in “way-too-early” and “post-spring” Top 25 lists across the country. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt is among the believers—he’s got the Wolverines sitting at No. 12 in his post-spring rankings. Why the confidence? It starts on defense. The 62-year-old Michigan legend is back as DC for Year 2, and his unit hit its stride late last season. With that kind of momentum, the Maize and Blue are ready to make noise again.

Now, in CFB, few defensive minds stand out like Georgia’s Kirby Smart—except maybe Michigan’s 62-year-old Wink Martindale, who’s cut from the same cloth. On the June 25 episode of Adapt & Respond, national analyst RJ Young dropped high praise on Georgia’s defensive identity—and the man behind it, Kirby Smart. “One of my favorite things about the Georgia defense is most people can’t tell you who plays on it, but they can tell you it’s very good. Because that’s Kirby Smart. That’s Kirby Smart’s identity,” said Young.

He didn’t stop there. “But because of the way the machine works at Georgia, and the way that Kirby Smart runs it, you can always expect they’re going to be deep at linebacker, they’re going to be deep at defensive line, they’re going to have some safeties that can go get the ball in the air. It’s just what they do. It’s just what he does. He is one of the best coaches in the sport, and he’s fast becoming one of the best coaches to ever be head coach in the sport.”

Georgia’s defense isn’t just dominant—it’s a system, a culture, and a standard.

Now, Kirby Smart-level praise doesn’t get tossed around lightly. But Michigan’s 62-year-old defensive guru, Wink Martindale, just earned it. RJ Young didn’t hold back his admiration there, too. “For instance, going back-to-back in 2021, 2022—when it’s never been more difficult to win the national championship. We play more games, we play a playoff system, we have more money to throw at it, and we have better athletes. I think for Michigan, though, it’s more like, okay, Wink Martindale gets to be that,” said Young. A nod like that places Martindale in rare company—and Michigan fans should notice.

Well, Don “Wink” Martindale is a defensive mastermind with more than 20 years of NFL experience—and now, he’s making waves in CFB. He called the shots for top-tier units with the Broncos (2010), Ravens (2018–2021), and Giants (2022–2023), building his reputation on aggressive, high-IQ defense. In Baltimore, his group was elite—consistently ranking top-3 in points allowed, leading the league in turnovers, and anchoring a Super Bowl XLVII title run. With the Giants, he brought the fire back and earned the PFWA “Dr. Z” Award in 2023 for lifetime excellence. Then in 2024, Martindale joined Michigan, and the results came fast—his Wolverines defense finished 11th in the nation. Moral of the story?

Wink’s system works, no matter the level.

On the flip side, Kirby Smart has transformed Georgia into the gold standard of defensive football in college. In 7 of his 9 seasons, the Bulldogs have finished with a top-15 defense, including five years inside the top 10. That dominance hit its peak in 2021 and 2022, when Georgia became the first team in CFP history to win back-to-back national championships, driven by a defense built on pressure, precision, and toughness. By 2023, Smart’s unit once again led the SEC in total defense, ranked 10th nationally in yards allowed (289.1 YPG), and locked down the air with just 175.4 passing YPG. Georgia also finished 5th in the country in scoring defense, giving up only 15.6 points per contest. Even in a more competitive 2024 season, Smart’s defense held firm, guiding the Dawgs to yet another SEC crown and playoff berth.

Now, we couldn’t help but ignore RJ Young raising an intriguing question when comparing Georgia’s defensive machine to Michigan’s rising unit under Wink Martindale. He pointed out how Kirby Smart’s defense runs like clockwork, so seamlessly that even without knowing the names, fans trust the product. “Is it plug-and-play for him?” Young asked. Shifting focus to Michigan, he noted, “I can’t really evaluate a Rod Moore because of last year. Didn’t get to see much. Will Johnson was great when he played… What else you got over there? How much better do you expect to be?”

And with Martindale now steering the ship, Michigan’s defense is drawing similar curiosity—and expectations. Last year’s group impressed, and 2025 might just be the year they take a big leap.

Michigan’s DC shared high praise for the new DB

Wink Martindale brings that old-school, no-nonsense brand of football to Ann Arbor. He’s all about grit, preparation, and physicality—and one player who embodies that mindset is DB Brandyn Hillman.

At 6-foot and 200 pounds, the redshirt sophomore has quickly caught Martindale’s eye. Known for his bone-rattling hits and fearless style, Hillman is expected to be a tone-setter in Michigan’s secondary this season. Martindale loves his edge and says the young DB isn’t afraid to put his body on the line every snap.

The hard-hitting DB has already made his presence known in Michigan’s secondary. Martindale sees shades of a throwback star in him. “He’s like a heat-seeking missile back there. He likes contact. He falls into that old-school type of football player… Brian Dawkins, those type of guys, the way he attacks the football and attacks going after the football when somebody’s going after it and everything else. He’s going to be fun to watch the next few years.”

Well, Hillman’s intensity and fearless play style are already earning him comparisons to NFL legends!

As Hillman’s snaps grew last season, so did his reputation for fearless hits—and yes, a few flags came with them. But Martindale can live with the occasional penalty if it means having a tone-setter patrolling the back end. In today’s pass-heavy game, Hillman brings that old-school edge receivers dread. If he tightens up the timing and learns when to deliver or dial it back, he could emerge as the face of a stacked Michigan defense.

The Brian Dawkins comparison? It’s lofty, but Hillman has the tools to live up to it.