One month after the Michigan football team wrapped up a season in which it allowed an average of 35 points and 450 yards per game, new coach Brady Hoke concentrated on defense while recruiting.

Twelve of the 20 recruits Michigan landed Wednesday on national signing day play defense. The next step: Changing how the Wolverines look on defense by moving from the 3-3-5 favored by former coach Rich Rodriguez and going to the 4-3 scheme.

Michigan linebackers coach Mark Smith has four incoming linebackers.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

“(The 4-3) that’s something we both have been familiar with,” Hoke said in reference to defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. “We’re a little seasoned. We’ve played it a lot and coached it a lot.

“When you look at what Greg has done at (the University of) and Baltimore (Ravens), we don’t differ too much, if at all in philosophy, and I think it is very good for what we want to do.”

Hoke - a defensive coach by trade - said more than the need to change to a 4-3 led to his focus on defensive players.

“One thing I know from coaching in the Big Ten, being here at Michigan, you have to play defense,” Hoke said. “Defense is - late in the season, because of the elements because of what you may face and the weather - you’ve got to be able to keep people out of the end zone.”

In theory, adding the extra lineman will put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and - what Hoke specifically addressed Wednesday - free the linebackers to make more plays.

Linebacker was the second-most addressed position in the recruiting class with four signees: Desmond Morgan, Kellen Jones, Antonio Poole and Frank Clark. Michigan signed five defensive backs.

“It’s very exciting,” linebacker coach Mark Smith said. “All four of these kids coming in fit the criteria we’re looking for. They’re kids that can run, they’re aggressive and they can hit you. We’ll see how they adjust once they get here, but right now we feel real good about them.”

Smith also emphasized that working with the players already on campus would be his focus in the coming weeks.

“Those are the guys that we know right now have a chance to play next year,” Smith said. “If a young kid is good enough to play, then we’ll play him we’re going to play the best player. But right now the focus will be the kids that are here, and when we get a chance to get the young guys in, we’ll see what they can do.”

Linebacker recruit Desmond Morgan (6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Holland West Ottawa) has experience of not just quarterbacking the defense, but the offense as well.

In addition to recording 72 tackles in an injury shortened senior year (he had 120 as a junior) Morgan passed for 519 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 802 yards and 11 more touchdowns as a quarterback.

“There’s so many possibilities for that kid,” Smith said of Morgan. “He could end up doing a lot of things for us.

I think (playing quarterback) helps because obviously he has the leadership skills and he has the savvy - whatever you want to call it - he has all of those abilities, all of those intangibles that you’re looking for in a leader.”

Frank Clark (6-2, 210, Glenville) out of Cleveland reminds Hoke of another former Glenville player he coached at Michigan.

“Frank, in a lot of ways Frank, and I don’t want to put this pressure on him, reminds me of Pierre (Woods),” Hoke said. Clark told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Woods was prominent in his recruitment. “If you look at (Clark’s) length and the way he runs, he’s going to be a big ol’ guy for us as a football player and a destructive guy.”

Antonio Poole (6-2, 210, Winton Woods) out of Cincinnati and Kellen Jones (St. Pius X) out of Houston both stood out on the tape to Hoke and Smith as players who like to hit.

“As we knew we had some more things to do on the defensive side of the ball, (Poole) just jumped out at you. The way he plays, his physicalness and ability to go sideline to sideline,” Hoke said, pausing to find the right word. “Evident.”

Smith had similar sentiments about Jones.

“I like is the fact that he’s an aggressive hitter,” Smith said. “He’ll get down hill and he’ll go get you.”

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2561 or by e-mail at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.