'I will never back down from a challenge': Ernest Hausmann embracing competition in deep Michigan LB room
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football lacked depth at linebacker last season, so defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Co. set out to fix that this offseason. All of the key contributors from a year ago are back, as is senior Nikhai Hill-Green, who missed the 2022 campaign with a lingering injury. Sophomore Ernest Hausmann, perhaps Nebraska’s best freshman last season, transferred in. Suddenly, there are a lot of capable players for first-year position coach Chris Partridge to work with.
Hausmann wasn’t promised anything except an opportunity while he was deciding where to transfer. That was enough for him.
“I love competition,” the Michigan sophomore said. “I knew that coming into here at Michigan, that was going to be the case. That’s one of the things that you’re just striving to be better.
“When you go through that process of competition with the depth chart and all those different things, for me, I just worry about myself. You can’t control who’s going to be placed one, two, three. But I can control what I’m going to do each and every day. I take pride in what I do each day, my habits each day to make myself successful.”
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Junior linebacker Junior Colson and graduate Michael Barrett are the two incumbents. They’re challenge is to keep their jobs. Hausmann’s is to take a starting position, and put some pressure on the coaches to get him on the field.
“The reality is, you don’t step on the football field satisfied to just be second or third — and I realize that,” Hausmann said. “You go to a place, you want to be the No. 1 guy on the depth chart. For me, it’s just what I do each and every day that’s going to put myself in the best position for whatever situation that comes around. Then you can handle it because you know you did everything you could in that situation.”
Asked if the amount of established linebackers on Michigan’s roster is intimidating, Hausmann added: “Absolutely not. … I will never back down from a challenge that comes my way. I go about my business, and I have a lot of pride in my day-to-day routine. I’ve gotta believe that if I go about my routine, my habits, I’ll put myself in the best position when the decision comes to be on the field.”
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Hausmann was impressive in Michigan’s spring game Saturday at The Big House, recording a game-high 8 tackles with 1 stop for loss and forcing a fumble that was recovered by his Maize team. Hausmann played in 12 games for the Cornhuskers last season, racking up 54 tackles, including 10 and a sack at Michigan in November.
The newcomer has gotten up to speed quickly, even if the last few months have been “really crazy” between his class schedule, getting used to a new town and learning the Wolverines’ defense.
“One of the biggest adjustments is just learning a different defense, honestly,” Hausmann explained. “That’s one of the things I knew when I entered the transfer portal process, is you have to pick up another defense, learn the different language, be on the same page on the field.”
While Hausmann didn’t win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff the last two seasons, he’s happily joined in on doing his part to help achieve the common goal of making Michigan a national champion once again.
“When I stepped on this team, the standard was set of what we want to accomplish going into next year,” Hausmann said. “Each and every day, we’re working toward that goal.”
