Harbaugh’s Dilemma Threatens Michigan’s Grip on Jesse Minter…
I’ve gotten several questions about whether Michigan will be able to retain Jesse Minter if Jim Harbaugh leaves for the NFL. After initially suggesting on The Monday Morning Quarterback that a strong push involving making Minter the highest paid coordinator in the country might give the program a legitimate chance of holding on to him, conversations with several program sources have led me to believe the odds of keeping him in Ann Arbor even with a pay hike hover somewhere between slim and none.
There wasn’t a single source I spoke to who expects Minter back at Michigan next year. And the consensus among them also was he’s still far from a lock to return if Harbaugh does. About the only “lock” they see is that Harbaugh will ask Minter to be his defensive coordinator with whatever pro team goes to should he get one of those jobs. Simply put, Minter is in heavy demand in the pros. Heavy! And that’s because the prevalent sentiment among coaches I talk to is that Minter is elite.
Over the last week, the Michigan football team has seen a substantial portion of its 2023 national championship-winning roster depart for the NFL.
Though not unexpected, the Wolverines leading passer, rusher, top two receivers, top six offensive linemen and leaders in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and pass breakups all announced they were moving on. In total, 13 starters or key rotation players with remaining eligibility declared for the NFL Draft, on top of six starters who were out of eligibility.
Despite his plans ahead of the season, Donovan Edwards wasn’t one of them.