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Michigan football: Jimmy Rolder, other young linebackers making big strides

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•11/09/22•

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(Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines football didn’t have much depth at the linebacker spot coming into the season, and that was tested right out of the gate, with junior Nikhai Hill-Green — a projected starter — out with an injury. The ailment was described as a “soft-tissue injury” during fall camp, but it’s apparently lingered to the point that Hill-Green hasn’t seen game action all season.

Outside of Hill-Green, Michigan has stayed healthy at the position, led by sophomore Junior Colson and graduate Michael Barrett. The only other hiccup was backup junior Kalel Mullings missing last weekend’s game against Rutgers.

Freshman Jimmy Rolder, a former four-star recruit, enrolled in the summer but has gotten up to speed quickly.

“We really felt good about Jimmy,” Michigan linebackers coach George Helow said Wednesday. “So happy that he’s on the team. Jimmy is also a guy that had a great game. He had 5 tackles, I think played 17 or 18 snaps on defense. He’s gonna continue to get better, and he’s just a great young man.”

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There’s been a lot on his plate, too, and he’s delivered. He’s totaled 10 tackles in 85 defensive snaps on the season. His role continues to expand, as well.

“He’s doing a great job,” Helow added. “He’s playing the Mike linebacker position and the Mike, as you guys know, they tie in the fronts and the coverages. We ask those guys to do a lot.

“He’s responded, and his overall attitude and how he trains how he prepares, he seems way more mature.”

Helow provided some insight into how he and the Michigan staff got Rolder prepared to play so quickly into his career.

“Seven-step teaching progressions are really good for young players and veteran players,” Helow expalined. “And that’s just being able to see the play on paper, seeing it on film and then doing it in pre-practice walkthroughs and individuals. You’ve got to cover and go over that exact play or scheme that you’re installing that day, to make sure their eyes, their assignment, their alignment, their technique are sound.

“Throughout practice, whether it’s a 7-on-7 period, installing a coverage, or if it’s a blitz period, installing a pressure, you go over that. I think the biggest thing for a freshman that you see is rewatching the film and having those meetings and the time you have in fall camp. I don’t think in high school those guys find the time to do that, so you can show them, this is a play that you either did a great job executing an assignment, or here’s what you need to improve on that play. That’s a big thing in college and pro ball that you have time to do that.”

Rolder was one of three freshman linebackers Michigan brought in this season. Micah Pollard and Deuce Spurlock haven’t been in the limelight as much, but Helow is pleased with the progression of each player.

Pollard has played in all nine games, mostly on special teams, while Spurlock has made three appearances, all in the non-conference portion of the schedule. The latter could still play in one more outing and still retain his redshirt.

“Doing great,” Helow said of the duo. “Micah Pollard starts on the kickoff team. He’s he’s made several plays and played seven snaps at the end of the game [against Rutgers], had a good stop on the short yardage. Micah, really happy with the progressions that he’s made and he continues to develop and understand what’s going on around him.

“And then Deuce Spurlock played early on this season, and what a great young man he is. He’s doing a tremendous job as well.”

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