Michigan LBs: Ernest Hausmann leading, Jaishawn Barham a 'high-level player' and there's depth behind them

Michigan Wolverines football has the task of replacing the winningest player in program history, Michael Barrett, and the team’s leading tackler from last season, Junior Colson, both at the middle linebacker spots. But one of the things former U-M defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was proud of from last offseason was building up the depth of that corps, and the Wolverines added to it back in December when reeling in Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham.

There are two natural successors for Barrett and Colson in Barham and junior Ernest Hausmann, who’s entering his second season at Michigan following a transfer in from Nebraska.

Hausmann, a 6-foot-2, 237-pounder, finished third on the team with 46 tackles last season, including 2 that came behind the line of scrimmage. He rotated in as the third linebacker, playing 338 defensive snaps, a figure that ranked 16th on the Michigan defense.

“Ernest has been great, from the first time I had the chance to sit down and speak with him,” new Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said on the ‘In The Trenches’ podcast. “Just to learn his background … I try to tell kids about my background, tell them I’m an open book. And Ernest, you could almost look at him as the third starter from last year. He played a ton, which shows you the respect level and what they thought of him from the previous staff.

“And he’s taken a big leadership role so far this season. I think he understands how much Mike Barrett and Junior Colson did here last year, and I think he wants to continue that leadership aspect. He also understands how much production we lost. So, he’s been the main guy that’s been grabbing some of these younger and inexperienced guys and trying to get them up to speed on what the standard is to play defense here at Michigan.”

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Barham doesn’t have as loud of a demeanor, but he comes to Michigan with plenty of experience, and Jean-Mary, who was the Wolverines’ linebackers coach in 2020 before moving on to coach at Tennessee the last three seasons, believes the Maryland transfer has been a good fit. The 6-4, 230-pounder made 23 starts over two seasons, including posting 37 tackles with 3 for loss and 3 sacks in 2023.

“The big thing with Jaishawn, obviously, is [he’s] just a high-level athlete, high-level player, was one of the best linebackers in the country coming out of high school out of the DMV area,” Jean-Mary said. “We actually recruited him at my previous place [Tennessee]. Just the experience coming in, we have actual game tape that shows how high of a level that he can play at.

“I think the biggest thing with Jaishawn and what you can respect — he does come in with some Big Ten stripes, but you wouldn’t know that with him walking in the building. He wants to immerse himself in this Michigan culture and wants to be a part of the Michigan defense. I think with that mentality, I expect him to have a great year and be even more productive wearing the maize and blue.”

Jimmy Rolder headlines Michigan linebacker depth

As Michigan needed Hausmann at different points last season, this coming fall will require more linebackers to step up. Jean-Mary said with a new defensive staff has come “a clean slate for a room full of hungry, younger guys,” and junior Jimmy Rolder was the first one of the bunch that he mentioned. Rolder battled an injury early last season, decided to redshirt but was still able to play late in the year, accumulating 5 tackles.

“Those guys are great examples of the culture that has been built here, where you have to work for everything that you get; everything is earned. They’ve been unbelievable,” the Michigan assistant said.

“Jimmy Rolder played and has gotten some good snaps. He’s played in some games last year. I think he’s got a chance to be a very, very productive player. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him.”

Senior Jaydon Hood — a hard-hitting, 6-foot-1, 225-pounder out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — has waited his turn, even after surging into the two-deep of the depth chart last fall camp. He played in 12 games and registered 13 tackles with a forced fumble for Michigan in 2023.

“And we have another veteran in the room in Jaydon Hood, who’s patiently waited his time,” Jean-Mary said. “He’s got a chance to really help us next year, because he does have the experience and he’s been in some critical situations in some games, too. Those two guys [Rolder and Hood] are some of the older guys that played a little bit last year..”

Jean-Mary dished on some more Michigan linebackers who have less experience but have impressed him in the early going.

“Really excited about some of the younger kids,” the Michigan coach noted. “I think [senior walk-on] Christian Boivin is a guy that [is a] high-level special teams guy that I think is going to carve his niche in that linebacker room.

“And then another guy that I think the fans will be excited about and showed some flashes, just has to be more consistent, is [junior] Micah Pollard. He’s a great athlete, still trying to learn the linebacker position, but you can see some of the growth just off of tape and what I’ve seen these last couple weeks of watching him run around and being in meetings with him.”

Continued the Michigan assistant: “And then I’ve been remiss if I didn’t say some of the guys who haven’t played and are kind of newer to the program in [sophomores] Semaj Bridgeman and Jason Hewlett — two young guys that are very, very active, very athletic. We’re going to throw them in the fire and see how they react this spring. 

“And then we have two mid-years that I think have the chance to be really, really good in [freshmen] Cole Sullivan and Jeremiah Beasley. So, we have a good group. I always try not to miss anybody.

“The other kid that has been good and comes up and meets and someone I expect a good spring from is [sophomore] Hayden Moore. He has the chance to do some positive things to see if he can be one of the guys that gets on the bus and helps us play a high level of defense but also help us on special teams.”