The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ L I N E B A C K E R S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 99 • Tabbed as a four-star recruit, and the No. 287 overall player and 33rd-best linebacker in the country by the On3 Industry Ranking. MICAH POLLARD • LB So. • Jacksonville, Fla. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 206 • Appeared in 12 games on special teams in 2022, playing linebacker in four. Recorded 8 total tackles. Earned U-M Freshman of the Game honors on special teams twice. • Racked up 70 tackles, 16 stops for loss and 7 sacks during his prep senior season, lead- ing Bartram Trail to a 9-3 record and an 8A, Region 1 division title. • Rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 51 linebacker in the country per On3.com. JIMMY ROLDER • LB So. • Orland Park, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 228 • Played in 13 games and notched 14 tackles as a freshman at U-M. • Named U-M's Rookie of the Year on special teams. • Earned five U-M Freshman of the Game hon- ors — three on special teams and two on defense. • Named a semifinalist for the high school Dick Butkus Award, which is presented to the na- tion's top prep linebacker. • Selected to the Class 8A All-State team by the Illinois Coaches Association in 2021. • Tallied 115 tackles, 13 stops for loss, 4 inter- ceptions and 2 forced fumbles as a senior. • Tabbed as a four-star recruit, and the No. 60 overall player and fourth-best linebacker in the country by On3.com. JOEY VELAZQUEZ • LB Gr. • Columbus, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 225 • Saw time in 11 games on special teams, including five at linebacker, and tal- lied 6 tackles in 2022. • Played in eight tilts on special teams and two on defense during the 2021 season, recording 2 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. • As an outfielder on the U-M baseball team, he helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten Tournament title in 2021. • Appeared in one game on special teams his freshman year of 2019. • Rated by the On3 Industry Ranking as a three-star talent and the No. 47 player in Ohio. NEWCOMERS ERNEST HAUSMANN • LB So. • Columbus, Neb. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 228 • Transferred after one year at Nebraska, where he amassed 54 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery in 12 outings with seven starts. • Notched his first career sack and had 10 tack- les in a loss at Michigan Stadium last No- vember. • Regarded as a three-star recruit and the fifth- best prospect in Nebraska per the On3 Indus- try Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2022* 12/7 54 2 1 0 *at Nebraska SEMAJ BRIDGEMAN • LB Fr. • Philadelphia Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 225 • Named a PrepStar Top 350 All-American in 2022, checking in at No. 233. • Nominated for the high school Butkus Award. • His high school, Imhotep Institute, won the city championship and reached the state final his senior season. • A four-star prospect, the No. 306 overall player and the No. 31 linebacker in his class, and No. 5 recruit in Pennsylvania according to the On3 Industry Ranking. JASON HEWLETT • LB Fr. • Youngstown, Ohio Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 215 • Totaled 59 tackles, 9 stops for loss, 2 sacks, 3 intercep- tions and 3 forced fumbles as a prep senior, helping lead Chaney HS to its first 10-win season in more than two decades. • A Division III All-State first-team selection as a senior. • Tabbed by the On3 Industry Ranking as a three-star recruit and the 15th-best prospect in Ohio. HAYDEN MOORE • LB Fr. • Parker, Colo. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 205 • Led the state of Colorado with 197 total tackles in 2022, averaging 16.4 per contest. • Named first-team all-state as a senior. • Made 111 tackles with 11 for loss and 5 sacks as a junior. • Slotted as a three-star prospect and the eighth-best recruit in Colorado per the On3 Industry Ranking. *For your convenience, we'll send you a direct link to each newsletter via email as soon as it is published. Send your EMAIL ADDRESS to staff@TheWolverine.com or login into your account at TheWolverineOnDemand.com to update your contact information. FOOTBALL SEASON NEWSLETTERS Exclusively For Wolverine Magazine Subscribers BE SURE TO GET YOUR EMAIL ON OUR LIST!* The Wolverine Now digital newsletter is emailed every Thursday and Sunday of game weeks during football season. Each newsletter links to articles on our premium website:TheWolverine.com with exclusive content for magazine subscribers. Other content on the site may require a separate subscription and is not included with your magazine subscription. ✦ Game Report Packages on Sundays ✦ Updated Scouting Reports on Thursdays ✦ Quotes From Press Conferences ✦ Football Notes ✦ Cumulative Statistics ✦ Depth Charts & Roster for both teams ✦ Columns, Recruiting Updates, Staff Predictionsand Much More!