The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
[ L I N E B A C K E R S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 97 ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR ERNEST HAUSMANN is the top linebacker and 20th-best overall player to have trans- ferred this offseason according to On3, and he will have a huge role. In fact, he showed enough in the spring — posting a game-high 8 tackles and a forced fumble in the April 1 scrimmage and impressing in prior practice — that it didn't look like Nikhai Hill-Green would have much of a role. Hill-Green transferred to UNC Char- lotte following the spring game. played, but the lack of depth at that position throughout the course of the year. Truth be told, it probably came back to bite us later in the year," said Minter. "Those guys got a little banged up. I don't think we were full strength when we needed to be. I'm really excited to be able to roll guys in there a little bit more, take a few snaps off the top cou- ple and see if we can play well at that position." U-M's true freshman lineback- ers include Semaj Bridgeman, a 6-2, 225-pounder out of Philadelphia, Jason Hewlett, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Youngstown, Ohio, and Hayden Moore, at 6-3, 210, from Parker, Colo. Michigan radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch has witnessed the line- backers at length, from field level as a sideline reporter in 2021 and from on high last year in the radio booth. He makes several observations about what will of necessity be a key com- ponent in Michigan's hopes for a run to a third straight Big Ten title and beyond. "Hausmann was a name from the Nebraska game I just kept saying," explained Karsch. "He'd always be around the football, either making a play or forcing a Michigan player into the guy that made the play. "When you're doing play-by-play of a game, and you keep saying the same name, over and over, from the other team, you earn a lot of respect for that guy. He's always in the picture frame. That bodes very well." He's the challenger behind all the experience, and it will be a team- boosting challenge, Karsch insisted. "You've got all that experience," he said. "Michael Barrett coming back is just huge. I'm really happy for him. He was potentially going to be chained to the bench, and then they switched his position. He really turned into a differ- ence maker last year. "Michigan probably wants to de- velop some depth, with the loss of Nikhai Hill-Green, but the front line looks very talented." Minter stressing Colson taking the next step to dominance makes sense, Karsch acknowledged. "I can see that," he said. "He is really good. I call his name a lot, too. Him getting better is probably as critical to the team as anything. "When you talk about making up for the losses at corner, making up for the loss of Mike Morris, it doesn't always come from those positions. It comes from another position group becom- ing great. "It strikes me that the linebacker group could be that group that we go, 'Holy crap, are they ever good! They are the heart and soul of that defense.' The ceiling is pretty high." ❑ ❱ Junior Colson led the Wolverines with 101 tackles in 2022 and as a junior has a chance to become the first U-M defender to hit the 100-tackle mark in multiple sea- sons since Jarrett Irons (1994-95-96). Only two other U-M players in the Jim Har- baugh era have amassed 100-plus tackles in a season — Khaleke Hudson (101 in 2019) and Josh Ross (106 in 2021). ❱ Colson also was rated as a preseason second-team All-American by Athlon and the No. 10 inside linebacker in the nation by Lindy's Sports. ❱ Grad Michael Barrett recorded 71 career tackles in his first three seasons after redshirting (2019-21) before exploding for 72 stops in 2022. Barrett began his career as a 'viper' — formerly U-M's linebacker/ safety hybrid position — before a new sys- tem thrust him into switching to middle linebacker. ❱ Sophomore Ernest Hausmann, a transfer from Nebraska, was pegged as the Big Ten Newcomer of the Year by Lindy's Sports and ranked among the nation's top 23 transfers by Athlon. ❱ Athlon ranked Michigan's linebacker unit No. 4 in the nation heading into 2023. ❱ Michigan totaled 11 sacks and had a 50 percent pressure rate (10th in the coun- try) when blitzing last season, per Sports Info Solutions. [ F Y I ] MICHIGAN RUN DEFENSE STATS BY SEASON Rushing Yards Rushing Yards Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2022 1,371 97.9 3.3 2021 1,770 126.4 3.7 2020* 1,073 178.8 4.2 2019 1,582 121.7 3.2 2018 1,656 127.4 3.7 2017 1,572 120.9 3.5 2016 1,550 119.2 3.2 2015 1,589 122.2 3.6 2014 1,412 117.7 3.2 2013 1,822 140.2 3.8 *Michigan only played six games in 2020 PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY