The Los Angeles Rams could be on the verge of a significant defensive reshaping — and it starts with the secondary.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Rams are expected to hire Michael Hunter from the University of Tennessee as their next defensive backs coach, continuing an offseason defined by quiet but meaningful coaching change.
“The #Rams are expected to hire Tennessee’s Michael Hunter as a defensive backs coach,” Zenitz reported Tuesday.
— Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports
Hunter’s arrival comes at a pivotal moment for a defense that struggled in coverage in 2025 and now faces both schematic questions and personnel turnover in the defensive backfield.
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Who Is Michael Hunter?
Hunter enters the NFL coaching ranks after an exclusively collegiate coaching career, most recently serving as Tennessee’s cornerbacks coach following two seasons as assistant defensive backs coach at Ohio State (2024–2025).
Before coaching, Hunter spent four years as an NFL defensive back, appearing in six regular-season games for the New York Giants (2016–2017) while contributing on both defense and special teams.
Though his professional playing résumé was modest, Hunter has built credibility as a developer of talent at the college level. At Ohio State, he played a key role in the progression of Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun, the latter becoming a 2025 First Team All-Big Ten selection and a projected 2026 NFL Draft pick.
Hunter also briefly joined Tennessee under Josh Heupel and Jim Knowles, helping the Volunteers land multiple defensive back transfers before departing for Los Angeles.
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What This Means for Aubrey Pleasant
The timing of the hire immediately raises questions about Aubrey Pleasant, the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator.
Pleasant, who previously oversaw the defensive backs, has emerged as a serious defensive coordinator candidate this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Pleasant interviewed with the Cleveland Browns and is also under consideration for the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive coordinator position.
“Aubrey Pleasant will speak to the Browns today about their open defensive coordinator job.”
— Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
While Hunter’s hire does not automatically signal Pleasant’s departure, it does suggest the Rams are preparing for multiple outcomes. If Pleasant leaves, Hunter provides continuity and specialization in the secondary. If Pleasant stays, the move could free him to focus more heavily on game planning, in-game adjustments, and broader defensive oversight — or even position him as a future in-house defensive coordinator successor should Chris Shula again draw interest next cycle.
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Rams Secondary Needed Help — Badly
The urgency is backed by the numbers.
During the 2025 regular season, Los Angeles ranked 25th out of 32 teams in overall coverage performance, allowing 4.24 yards per coverage snap and a 67.6% completion rate. The unit surrendered 21 passing touchdowns, placing it firmly in the league’s bottom quarter.
While the Rams generated 14 interceptions (tied for 10th in the NFL), those takeaways masked persistent coverage breakdowns — particularly at cornerback.
Bright spots did exist. Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens posted elite efficiency, allowing just 0.50 yards per coverage snap, while Kamren Curl handled the heaviest workload in the secondary. However, inconsistency at cornerback forced the Rams into a zone-heavy scheme, limiting their ability to play man coverage against top passing offenses.
Coaching Change Meets Personnel Uncertainty
The coaching shift also coincides with major roster questions.
Several contributors in the secondary — including Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, Roger McCreary, Kam Curl, and Derion Kendrick — are set to hit free agency. The Rams’ current depth chart at cornerback is thin, with just 6 players under contract and general manager Les Snead has already acknowledged the need to “attack” the position this offseason.
Hunter’s background bridging college and NFL concepts — particularly his work helping Ohio State integrate modern coverage ideas — positions him to influence both player development and scheme evolution.
Cardinals, Browns, and the League-Wide Ripple Effect
Pleasant’s potential departure is also being closely watched outside Los Angeles.
The Arizona Cardinals, now led by head coach Mike LaFleur, see Pleasant as a natural fit given their shared Rams background. Cleveland, meanwhile, offers a high-profile opportunity with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, after veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned following the Browns’ head coaching change.
Those external factors only add weight to the Rams’ decision to fortify their coaching staff now — before dominoes fall.
Bigger Picture: A Secondary Reset Is Underway
Hunter becomes the latest addition in a broader Rams coaching refresh that already includes changes on special teams with Bubba Ventrone and Kyle Hoke, plus the need to replace offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, now Arizona’s head coach.
Taken together, the message is clear: the Rams are not treating their 2025 defensive struggles as a personnel-only problem.
They’re changing the structure.
Whether Michael Hunter ultimately serves as a stabilizer, an innovator, or a bridge to the next phase of the Rams’ defense, his hire signals a franchise intent on fixing one of its most glaring weaknesses — before it costs them another postseason run.