Michigan Football: Rebuilding the Wolverines Defense One Man at a Time

The biggest challenge Brady Hoke faced when he took the Michigan job was to rebuild the defense.

Hoke went right to work, hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.

Not only did Mattison have the reputation of assembling great NFL squads, he had already proven himself at Florida, Notre Dame and at Michigan in the mid-1990s.

His job was going to be a tough one, since Michigan's defense was one of the worst in the nation, giving up 35.23 points per game in 2010.

Of all the stories surrounding the 2011 Wolverines, the defensive turnaround is probably the most compelling. With basically the same players as a year ago, Mattison's defense allowed just 17.17 points per game, good enough for seventh in the FBS.

Of course Mattison could not have done it without some good fortune, and the few players who stepped up when really needed.

Let's take a look at some of the players who made the necessary contributions.

Linebacker Brandon Herron

After three seasons as a reserve, Brandon Herron entered fall camp expecting more of the same. But the redshirt senior played well enough to win the starting WILL position over Mike Jones.

In the storm-shortened opener against Western Michigan, Herron returned an interception 94 yards for a score and later returned a fumble 29 yards for another.

Remarkably, Herron's two returns were the first time a Wolverine scored two defensive touchdowns in modern history. He was also the first Wolverine since Tom Harmon in 1940 to score on two returns.

Unfortunately, Herron would play very little the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

Linebacker Brandin Hawthorne

Down a pair of outside linebacker starters, it was time to turn to another.

Against the Fighting Irish, the Wolverines inserted true freshman Desmond Morgan at weak-side linebacker. It didn't take long before Brandin Hawthorne received a shot.

A junior who played sparingly for Rich Rodriguez, Hawthorne made his mark in the fourth quarter with a key third-down stop on running back Cierre Wood.

He finished the night with six tackles, had 10 stops against Eastern Michigan and appeared to own the starting spot.

But the knock on Hawthorne was his lack of size, and it was assumed that Herron would get his job back when healthy.

Linebacker Jake Ryan

A redshirt freshman, Ryan first impressed the coaching staff with solid play during training camp, but was noticed by the fans in the spring game. He not only tallied a pair of sacks, he also ran back an interception for a touchdown.

When projected starter Cam Gordon was unable to start the season, Ryan stepped in and was a rock the entire season. He started 10 games, recorded 30 tackles and contributed seven tackles for loss.

Against Western Michigan, Ryan tipped the pass which Brandon Herron returned 94 yards for a touchdown.

Linebacker Desmond Morgan

Since Herron continued to have knee problems, Morgan eventually retrieved the starter's role from Hawthorne.

From then on, his play hardly resembled that of a freshman. He led the team in tackles twice before the regular season ended. He finished with 53 for the season, including 10 in the win over Ohio State.

Morgan, who played linebacker and quarterback at Holland (MI) Ottawa HS, was named to the ESPN and Big Ten Network All-Freshman teams.

Cornerback Blake Countess

Another true freshman, Blake Countess found himself in the lineup when both Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd were injured in the San Diego victory.

Not only did he get the opportunity, he drew rave reviews from Coach Mattison.

The staff was so confident in his play that Mattison and Coach Hoke were able to move Woolfolk back to safety, where he played early in his Michigan career.

Countess, who started the final five games, joined Morgan on the ESPN and Big Ten Network All-Freshman teams.

Defensive Tackle Will Heininger

A three-time Academic All-Big Ten, Heininger was expected to begin his senior year on the bench. 

But Will Campbell never panned out at defensive tackle, so Ryan van Bergen started the season at defensive tackle and Heininger took over at defensive end. The two switched positions after the Notre Dame game, and both linemen were consistent, if not spectacular, throughout the season.

Heininger, who played his high school football at Ann Arbor Pioneer, finished the season with 23 tackles and one sack.

Safety Thomas Gordon

A hybrid linebacker under Rich Rodriguez a season ago, Thomas Gordon was moved to free safety for the 2011 campaign. 

The redshirt sophomore, who was Michigan's third-best tackler with 59, led the Big Ten in fumble recoveries with four.

Gordon, who has 4.45 speed, was an all-state performer in both football and track at Detroit Cass Tech. 

He started nine games in 2011, playing in a rotation with Troy Woolfolk late in the season.