The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539777
OCTOBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 that don't ever push it to that level, and he's pushing it to that level. Now you're seeing it. "He's got the chance to be a first- round draft pick if he continues to play that way. We'll continue to push him, and he continues to push himself. It's fun to watch him out there on the edge." Barham is a nightmare who causes headaches for opponents, freeing up teammates. "Him being on the edge is a mismatch," defensive line coach Lou Esposito said. "Think about this: Now, you've got to slide the protection to Jaishawn, but you've got No. 8 [senior edge Derrick Moore], what are you going to do? Block him one-on-one? It presents problems," associate head coach Biff Poggi pointed out. That played out in Michigan's win over Nebraska, with not just Barham but also his defensive line mates living in the backfield. The Wolverines pressured quarterback Dylan Raiola on 49 percent of his drop-backs and notched 7 sacks for just the third time against a Big Ten opponent since 2021, joining wins over Indiana in 2022 and Penn State in 2021. Barham and Derrick Moore each to- taled 6 pressures, while graduate defen- sive tackle Rayshaun Benny recorded 5 and graduate edge TJ Guy added 4. Michigan had 36 pressures on 24 drop- backs where Raiola felt the heat, mean- ing multiple Wolverines impacted the quarterback on 12 of those downs. It was a true, dominant collective effort. The Wolverines' defense is tied for 36th nationally with 6 yards allowed per throw, but both Oklahoma (7.9) and Ne- braska (7.5) had some success, each total- ing 270 or more passing yards. SECONDARY IS BANGED UP The Maize and Blue have been banged up in the secondary, without senior start- ing cornerback Zeke Berry the last two games, sophomore Mason Curtis for points during the first third of the regular season and junior Jyaire Hill leaving the Nebraska showdown early with an undis- closed ailment. Having a full cast of play- ers on the back end would be a big assis- tance, as will graduate safety Rod Moore continuing to have a bigger role. The 2023 third-team All-Big Ten selection com- peted in a game versus the Cornhuskers for the first time in 621 days after dealing with knee injuries that required multiple surgeries. He played 21 snaps. The Wolverines have hung in even with freshmen playing key roles — cornerback Jayden Sanders, most notably. He made multiple important open-field tackles in the win over Nebraska, his second career start, and graded out on Pro Football Fo- cus as the team's best defensive back (71.6 rating). Sanders has steadily climbed the depth chart and seen players ahead of him go down with injuries, earning him an op- portunity that he is capitalizing on. "The crazy thing about Jayden is he wasn't an early enrollee. He got here in the summer because he was doing basketball and stuff like that," secondary coach La- Mar Morgan explained. "He's mature. You can coach him. He's smart. He works really hard. When his time has come, he was ready to go. And I think that's really all about football. You never know when your time is ready, but a lot of guys aren't ready when their time comes. I think he's done a good job of working while he's waiting." MICHIGAN RUSH DEFENSE IS STRONG Sack numbers play into it, but Michi- gan hasn't allowed opponents to have much success in the quarterback run game. Three of four opponents have been held under 80 rushing yards and 2.5 yards per carry, while Oklahoma gashed the Maize and Blue with quarter- back runs during a 24-13 win in Norman Sept. 6. Quarterback John Mateer — the lead- ing candidate for the Heisman Trophy — rushed 19 times for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also extended plays by scrambling before throwing down- field. The Sooners amassed 408 yards of offense, averaging 5.5 yards per play, against the Michigan defense. "Oklahoma is really good, by the way," Poggi noted. "When you look at other people in the country, they're really good. But I think we're pretty good on defense." The defense has been led by senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann, who's pacing the unit with 29 tackles, adding 1.5 for loss, a sack and a pair of quarter- back hurries. There are a slew of other top-tier talents in the linebacking corps, including Rolder and Sullivan. Those two are also in the top four on the team in tackles — Rolder with 21 (second) and Sullivan with 19 (fourth). Sullivan has also had 2 sacks and a team-best 2 in- terceptions, and is all over the field and earning more playing time. "I think that they're playing unbeliev- able football," Poggi said. "Jimmy is right up at the top as a tackling leader. He's all over the football field and a tough, smart kid. Cole is exactly the same way. Cole's long, can really run and is very physical. Both of them love the game of football. In that linebacker room, don't forget Ernest Hausmann." ❏ Early Defensive Accolades STRONGEST POSITION GROUP: Line- backer — And this includes Jaishawn Barham, because that's where he's listed on the roster. Michigan is deepest and most talented in the middle, led by Ernest Hausmann with breakout players in Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan next to him. MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: LB/EDGE Jaishawn Barham — Barham tilts the field because he has to be accounted for, meaning opposing offenses will have to slide the protection his way and allow others to have one-on-one matchups. He gives Michigan a difference-maker at the edge rusher spot, something the Wolver- ines' defense lacked the first two games. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: LB Cole Sul- livan — It wasn't until spring practices this year that the sophomore felt men- tally and physically ready to be an impact player on defense, after playing a role on special teams as a true freshman. And from Game 1, he's been just that, posting 2 interceptions and 2 sacks, and making instinctual plays and hard hits. IMPACT NEWCOMER: DB TJ Metcalf — The Arkansas transfer has answered one of the biggest questions of the offseason, 'Who will play nickel?' He's done it well, too, accumulating 15 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, a pass breakup and an inter- ception, which came against Oklahoma. POSITION THAT NEEDS THE MOST IM- PROVEMENT: Cornerback — Michigan must get healthy here, first and foremost, but the Wolverines also have some real upside at the position now that six play- ers have seen 20-plus defensive snaps on the outside through four games. The cornerback play hasn't been weak, but it can be much better. — Clayton Sayfie