Last season undeniably saw a drop in production from the year before for the now-No. 15 Michigan football team’s secondary. After losing Will Johnson and then-senior Rod Moore for much or all of the season due to injury and multiple more players to the transfer portal and NFL — most notably former nickelback Mike Sainristil — the defensive back room lacked experience and a defense that didn’t click until late in the season.
So ahead of this season, the Wolverines hit the portal in hopes of replenishing some of that talent. What Michigan got was junior defensive back TJ Metcalf.
“TJ’s a hard worker, he plays confident, fast and physical,” senior defensive back Zeke Berry said Monday. “He’s brought the energy that we needed for the past couple years. But he’s going to be a great football player. He’s going to continue to make plays each Saturday.”
After transferring from Arkansas, Metcalf instantly gained a reputation as someone with infectious energy in the room and on the field. His physicality and competitiveness in practice not only made him stand out, but also made the players he went up against better.
“He’s been a huge spark on defense for us,” Michigan wide receiver coach Ron Bellamy said Wednesday. “He’s physical, he’s smart, plays the pass, super competitive. The thing I love about TJ man, he has energy that’s just infectious. He’s always just flying around and he loves football. He’s a ball player, and he’s been a great addition to our team.”
In two seasons at Arkansas, Metcalf played in all 12 regular season games both years, increasing his production drastically from his freshman to sophomore campaign. He more than tripled his tackles and recorded his first three interceptions and seven passes defended, before deciding to hit the portal and transfer to Michigan for his junior season.
In his first game with the Wolverines against New Mexico, Metcalf continued those strides by taking the second most snaps on defense — only behind junior defensive back Jyaire Hill — while tallying three tackles and half a tackle for loss.
“I enjoyed it, I loved it,” Metcalf said Saturday of his impression of Michigan Stadium. “It didn’t really hit me until pregame started. I just saw my teammates all hype. Everybody was ready to go. And I think that just fueled my fire. Just made me want to go out there and play for my brothers out there.”
Since Sainristil graduated, Michigan hasn’t had a true nickel in the room. So with Metcalf’s energy, unique skillset and physicality, he can make an impact both on and off the field.
The movement within and depth of the Wolverines’ defensive back room had been alluded to all offseason. With 55 snaps against the Lobos, Metcalf started at nickel, but moved between positions and proved he fits that mold Michigan is looking for in its defensive backs — similar to how Sainristil moved around positions.
“I was just at nickel at first, but I think we got a lot of versatility in the room,” Metcalf said. “It’s really good for us, whenever we need a different body type or a different player with a different play style at the right down and distance, we need to put a player out there to showcase their talent. But I think that’s really good for us, that we got a lot of guys that can play different positions.”
Now, Metcalf is primed to handle duties all over the secondary, starting at nickel but transitioning to the rest of the room. And with SEC experience and Oklahoma on the docket, Metcalf can help Michigan prepare with that infectious energy and physicality.
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