The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 27 few disruptive plays on normal downs," Minter explained about last season. "That's a huge emphasis for us when a lot of those big guys are out there." LINEBACKER Junior linebacker Junior Colson — who played 727 defensive snaps, sec- ond-most on the team — said he was exhausted at times in the 2022 season. Depth was lacking, with senior Nikhai Hill-Green missing the entire year with a nagging soft-tissue injury. Now, Col- son and fellow starter Michael Barrett, a graduate student entering his sixth season with the Wolverines, don't just have capable back- ups, but players who will push for signifi- cant playing time. So p h o m o re E r- nest Hausmann, a Nebraska transfer, shined at The Big House last November, totaling 10 tack- les and notching his first career sack. He was one of the top standouts in the U-M spring game, too, leading all Wolverines with 8 tackles, adding a stop for loss and a forced fumble on a crushing hit. "We have two incumbent players that — my challenge to Ernest is to go take their spot," Minter stated. "My chal- lenge to those guys is to hold on to your spot, because he's coming." Hausmann isn't shying away from the competition. "I will never back down from a chal- lenge that comes my way. I go about my business, and I have a lot of pride in my day-to-day rou- t i n e ," H a u s m a n n sa i d . "I've gotta believe that if I go about my routine, my habits, I'll put myself in the best position when the decision comes to be on the field." Hill-Green started six games in 2021 and may be the forgotten man in the conversation. He was close to being 100 percent at the Fiesta Bowl last De- cember but is finally fully healthy. "It was great being back out there with the guys, and I'm just trying to improve each and every rep, and each and every day," Hill- Green said after recording 4 tackles and 1 stop for loss in the spring game. It's Colson and Barrett, for now, but it's safe to say there will be more of a ro- tation this season to leverage the added depth and talent. DEFENSIVE BACK Harbaugh met with the media Feb. 23. Sophomore Amorion Walker, who moved over from wide receiver to cor- nerback this spring, was a big topic of conversation. The ninth-year head man said Walker can be a "unicorn," and that he already considered him a "starter." There's still a lot of time between now and the Sept. 2 season opener, but Walker struggled in the Maize-Blue spring scrimmage. Junior quarterback Davis Warren picked on him, target- ing junior wideout Peyton O'Leary over and over, including when O'Leary boxed Walker out and made the game-winning two-point conversion. Minter isn't expecting Walker to be an All-American out of the gates, though. Patience will be required. "Just like [sophomore cornerback] Will [Johnson] last year, he's probably going to have some ups and downs," the defensive coordinator said. "It's going to be our ability to have him playing his best when the best is needed, towards the middle-end of the season. "He's one of the team's best athletes, so he needs to play somewhere. And we're fortunate that right now that's the corner position." Walker isn't Michigan's only option to play sidekick to Johnson, a 2022 fresh- man All-American who missed spring practices due to a minor lower-body injury. Junior Ja'Den McBurrows shined in the spring game. Sophomore Myles Pollard, who had an i n te rce p t i o n , a n d f r e s h m a n J y a i r e Hill, the Wolver- ines' highest-ranked 2023 signee per On3, also impressed. Hill had an intercep- tion wiped off the board because of a penalty. "We've got a lot of young players at corner — Ja'Den McBurrows, Myles Pollard, Jyaire Hill, [freshman] Cam Calhoun, [graduate] Keshaun Harris," Minter said. "All those guys have had really bright moments. "We've moved [graduate] Mikey [Sainristil] around a lot. So, we're trying to do different things with him." Sainristil played nickel back last season, but co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Steve Clinkscale shifts his players around in the secondary. Sainristil could play one of the out- side spots, moving junior safety Rod Moore, poten- tially, up to nickel. Moore is one of three established veterans at safety, along with seniors Makari Paige and R.J. Mo- ten. All three ranked in the top 12 on the team in de- fensive snaps last year. Sophomores Zeke Berry and Keon Sabb are two under-the-radar names to watch, too. Berry had an interception and 4 tackles in the spring game, while Sabb contributed 2 tackles and a half-stop for loss. ❏ ❱ Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter "We have some key losses, certainly, but I feel good about where the guys are at and just knowledge, understanding, attacking the first day, sort of picking up where we left off." Sophomore Ernest Hausmann (15), a Nebraska transfer, was one of the stand- outs in the U-M spring game, leading all Wolverines with 8 tackles, including 1 stop for a loss and a forced fumble on a crushing hit. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL