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Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann’s stock is rising quickly

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•09/07/23•

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Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann is already making a name for himself. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)

Last year, Michigan linebackers were beaten up and tired by the end of the year after 14 games. Nikhai Hill-Green’s injury put most of the responsibility on Junior Colson and Michael Barrett, resulting in too many snaps. It was clear by the end of the season they’d given all they could. 

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This year, there are finally three legit starters in the middle of the defense after the Michigan coaches added Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann. We’d heard a lot about him in fall camp — we finally got to see it Saturday against ECU, and it was impressive. Hausmann was flying to the ball and looked the part of a future All-Big Ten linebacker, right up there with Colson and Barrett.

“The physicality of the linebackers really jumped out to me,” Jim Harbaugh said Monday on his radio show. “… Ernest Hausmann got to show that he can run and hit. I think we’re really, really improved at the inside backer position, and the outside backer position was solid, too.”

Hausmann can play either the MIKE or WILL positions, making him that much more valuable. He’s picked up the defense quickly, though he acknowledged “you never fully understand” the playbook. Regardless, he saw 29 snaps between the two linebacker spots — more than either Colson or Barrett — and looked extremely comfortable. 

Hausmann notched six tackles and a half tackle for loss in the 30-3 Michigan win over ECU playing between the two positions. He’ll likely see similar action against UNLV Saturday given their up-tempo offense.

“UNLV has a very unique offense, and that can cause a lot of problems,” Hausmann said. “They have a lot of fast, twitchy guys. They do a lot of things that try to have eye violations for a defense to get the fast, twitchy guys out in open space. That’s when they can do a lot of damage.

… “That’s the thing I love about a playbook, though. Each week there are so many things that you change about it. So, you might know the playbook on a Saturday, and on Monday, it changes. And that’s why the whole game week prep, there’s nothing like it in any other sport. You go through a whole spring, fall camp, fall camp rules, but the playbook, there’s a lot of variables that go into it.”

He’s happy to be at a place like Michigan, he said, where he knows he’s going to be well coached. It was tough leaving the state where he played his high school ball, he acknowledged, but heading to Ann Arbor was right for him. He knew it again the first time he ran on to the field and touched the banner for the first time as a Wolverine.

“It felt like home walking down the tunnel. This is the place to be,” he said. “It felt so awesome and so surreal … I’m so grateful for the opportunity. It was an awesome moment.”

One he’ll be able to relive many times over the next several years. 

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