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 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 99 STARTER ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ½ Michigan will feature one of the top line- backing combos in the Big Ten, if not nation- ally. Seniors Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham combine immense talent with exten- sive experience heading into the 2025 sea- son. Hausmann knows what it takes to win a national championship in Ann Arbor, and he's grown as a leader in addition to continuing to improve on his considerable skills at the position. Barham features limitless physical ability, and he learned a great deal about playing in Michigan's defensive system over the course of the 2024 campaign. They'll be used in a number of ways by defensive coordinator Wink Martingale and the Michigan staff, with Barham, in particular, moved around and used to terrorize quarter- backs. Between the pressure the Wolverines bring with a regular four-man front and what Martindale can dial up involving his lineback- ers, a relatively young secondary should get plenty of assistance. DEPTH ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Depth is probably the biggest question mark here. Sure, senior Jimmy Rolder has been around and has gained the coaches' confidence. But injuries have slowed his progress at times, and this season will be big for him, in terms of staying healthy and dem- onstrating he can deliver on a game-by-game basis. Sophomore Cole Sullivan shows a great deal of upside, but he's got to prove it on the field as the year plays out. Junior transfer Troy Bowles couldn't perform in spring ball due to injury, and he'll be looking to show well in fall practice following his arrival from Georgia. OVERALL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ If the starters stay relatively healthy, Michi- gan could be lights-out at linebacker. But de- veloping dependable depth, and demonstrat- ing game-to-game maturity and cohesiveness will mean plenty. The Wolverines feature talent beyond Hausmann and Barham, but it's talent waiting for an extended chance to show what it can do. This will be another year in which Michigan's defense is called upon to dominate in order to reach the high goals the team will set. The linebackers will play a crucial role in that hoped-for domi- nance, with how they endure, execute and develop. PRESEASON ANALYSIS body. You can't teach the length he has, and the athleticism he has is eye-pop- ping sometimes. "Because of his size, he could be that hybrid guy that could also line up on the edge and rush the passer, which he did a little bit this spring." The Wolverines feature highly re- garded freshmen Nathaniel Owusu- Boateng and Chase Taylor, who will en- joy the luxury of learning without a crisis rush onto the field at their position. At the other end of the experience spec- trum, graduate student Jaydon Hood is trying to carve a niche for himself as well. "We have some other young guys that we're high on in Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor," Jean-Mary noted. He already knows what he's got on the front end — and it's plenty. Now, the Michigan defense will steam full speed ahead toward fall, just looking to see how deep they can be at all positions. ❑ Senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) led the team with 89 tackles last season and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. Classmate Jimmy Rolder (30) tallied 26 tackles in 12 games off the bench last year and has been considered the "third starter" by the coaches the past two seasons. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Senior JIMMY ROLDER has been consid- ered a "third starter" by the staff the last two seasons, but he's dealt with injuries on and off. If he stays healthy, the Wol- verines are planning to get him on the field, even adding a wrinkle with three- linebacker formations, according to head coach Sherrone Moore.