The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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LINEBACKERS THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 97 tation last year, but he still finished No. 3 on the team in tackles with 46, including 2 tackles for loss. The Nebraska transfer will now be called upon to be a leader in the middle of the defense after learning from the veterans a year ago. "Those two linebackers, Jaishawn and Ernest — they are two of the best in the country," head coach Sherrone Moore said in May. "They're going to surprise a lot of people, which is par for the course [at Michigan]." We'll know this fall if that's the case, but there's no question they have the po- tential to be. Hausmann came in last year so focused on helping the team win a title that it was hard to relax, he said, so he became a student of the game. "Reflecting back on that … it was the easiest transition and buy-in process I could ever imagine when it came to Michigan," Hausmann said. "From Day 1, we said we were going to win the national championship, and it's really cool to look back on it and how we spoke it into existence, and how everyone was bought into that one common goal and did everything neces- sary to reach that goal. "That was really cool, because … you don't always know if what you're doing is enough. That's always the question: 'Am I doing enough? Am I doing enough?' And I think everyone had that fear in the back of their mind. That's where we would push our team to do everything they pos- sibly could for us to win a national cham- pionship." Including Hausmann. He accepted his role and proved to be a perfect fit. Now, it's his time to shine, and he's doing everything he can to ensure there's no drop-off at the position. "What I think I do best is understand- ing the situation," Hausmann continued. "That's one of the things that coming into the season, what Michigan does so well is applying the situation at hand. You were taught it. You come in from Day 1, you're given a great presentation. … When you're given all that information, sometimes it can be hard to apply it be- cause you're obviously not given every situation throughout the whole year. "Now, with one year of being given information and situations, you have an opportunity to go back and connect some of the dots to the situa- tions. I consider myself a very smart linebacker, being able to analyze dif- ferent things and being able to make sure that the people around me are in the right spot, and then being able to adjust." De fe n s ive co o rd i n a to r Wi n k M a r t i n d a l e a g re e d with that, too, noting Haus- mann never seems to rest in seeking football knowledge. The coach said he had "nine to 11 guys" who would be playing in the NFL soon, and Hausmann is likely one of them. His work ethic will be a big reason why. "Ernie is a football sa- STARTERS ★★★★ ★★★★ Ernest Hausmann was just what the doctor or- dered last year after coming over from Nebraska — very good depth behind starters Junior Colson and Michael Barrett. He had a great spring and has all the skill to be one of the Big Ten's best at the position. Jaishawn Barham was one of the bright spots on last year's Maryland defense, and now he'll be on the bigger stage. He should fare even better this year playing behind one of the nation's top defensive lines — he has great instincts and athleticism. DEPTH ★★★ ★★★ Like 2022, this is where the corps will really be tested. The Wolverines were still looking for help in the portal in May but had yet to find it. And while they have solid numbers in the room, there's nobody beyond the top two that has played a lot of football. Junior Jimmy Rolder saw some action as a freshman but played sparingly last year, slowed by injury. Veterans Jaydon Hood and Micah Pollard will get their shots — they've been waiting a while — and true freshman Cole Sullivan impressed in the spring game. OVERALL ★★★★ ★★★★ We'll round up here with the expectation that Brian Jean-Mary will get the most out of his group and develop talent the way he did at Tennes- see. Beat writers covering the Volunteers told us his units were always well-prepared, improving throughout the season under his tutelage, and we could see guys like Rolder, Hood and Pollard taking big leaps this season to provide depth. The starting duo, meanwhile, should be fun to watch, a pair of sideline-to-sideline 'backers who love to hit. Keeping them healthy will be paramount. PRESEASON ANALYSIS QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Brian Jean-Mary (1st year of second stint at U-M) Returning Starters: None Departing Starters: Junior Colson (36 career starts), Michael Barrett (35) Projected New Starters: Jaishawn Barham (23 at Maryland), Ernest Hausmann (7 at Nebraska) Top Reserves: Jaydon Hood, Jimmy Rolder, Cole Sullivan Newcomers: Sullivan, Zach Ludwig Moved In: Barham Moved Out: Jacob Beasley, Semaj Bridgeman, Hayden Moore Rookie Impact: Sullivan Most Improved Player: Hausmann Best Pro Prospect: Barham Jaishawn Barham earned honorable mention All-Big honors a season ago after recording 37 tackles and 3 sacks for Maryland. He also picked off a pass at the goal line in a loss to Michigan. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN