The 21st-ranked Wolverines (3-0) were without three key defensive backs in last week’s 63-3 win over Central Michigan, and it remains uncertain if any will return for Saturday’s matchup at Nebraska (3-0).
Starting cornerback Zeke Berry went down with a lower-right leg injury in Week 2’s loss to Oklahoma. Head coach Sherrone Moore described it as “mild,” but the team held him out against CMU as a precaution.
“Zeke’s been working really hard,” defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan said Wednesday. “Our medical staff has done a great job, and hopefully we can get him back this week. He’s practicing, but we just want him to feel comfortable and avoid reinjury. If he’s ready, you’ll get everything he has on every play.”
Berry, a two-year starter at nickel or corner, is one of the most experienced players in Michigan’s young secondary. Morgan emphasized the difficulty of returning at cornerback, where quick reactions and explosive movements are essential: “It takes a little longer because you don’t know what the offense will do—you’re reacting the whole time.”
At safety, the Wolverines were also missing Rod Moore and Mason Curtis. Moore, who hasn’t played since the 2023 national championship due to multiple knee surgeries, has been practicing and going through warmups but is still waiting for clearance. Morgan praised Moore’s progress: “He’s competing in one-on-ones, running well, being physical. I think he’s trending in the right direction.” He offered no update on Curtis, who had logged over 40 snaps in each of the first two games.
With Berry, Moore, and Curtis out, Michigan leaned on youth, playing 11 defensive backs, including six true freshmen. Jayden Sanders, the son of former TCU star Nick Sanders, earned the start opposite Jyaire Hill. Despite joining the team only this summer, Sanders has quickly risen in the rotation. “He’s mature, smart, and works hard,” Morgan said. “When his number was called, he was ready.”
The Wolverines dominated CMU, holding them to just 60 passing yards, but tougher challenges lie ahead. Against Oklahoma, Michigan surrendered 270 yards through the air, and this week they’ll face Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, the former five-star quarterback who ranks second in the Big Ten in passing yards and touchdowns.
Michigan has been rotating heavily in the secondary to find the right mix. Only Hill, Brandyn Hillman, and TJ Metcalf have played more than half of the defensive snaps so far.
“I don’t want to put a kid out there before he’s ready,” Morgan said. “If someone goes down, the next man has to step in. That’s the standard here, and the younger guys are learning by experience.”
If the veterans remain sidelined, Michigan will again rely on its underclassmen to meet that standard on the road in Lincoln.
