Michigan spring ball: Early enrollee defender is 'explosive,' transfer newcomer Troy Bowles recovering from injury
Michigan Wolverines football has two freshman early enrollee linebackers participating in spring practices in Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor. The program is high on both players, and one of them is already standing out.
Owusu-Boateng is the headliner of the duo, a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 233 overall player according to the On3 Industry Ranking. His stock took a hit since he missed his senior high school season due to injury, it’s important to note.
Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary has been impressed with Owusu-Boateng in the early going.
“We have Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng. He’s been as good, if not better, than what our expectations were,” Jean-Mary said. “And we also have Chase Taylor, who’s from Stockbridge, Georgia.”
Both early enrollees have worked hard in the winter training cycle, and Owusu-Boateng is practicing well according to Jean-Mary.
“They both have come in and, first, you’ve seen the changes in their bodies,” Jean-Mary said. “Coach [Justin] Tress and that staff down in the weight room have done an unbelievable job. Most kids that come in, in the spring, you see the physical differences with them and the rest of the team. And those guys haven’t missed a beat there.
“But Nate has done a great job. He had to sit out most of his senior year. He was very highly thought of coming here. We’re glad we have him.
“‘Explosive’ is what you would say when you see him on the field. Very, very fast, very, very explosive. Intelligent, plays the game the right way. We’re very, very high on him. We think he’s got a chance to be a really good football player.”
While Owusu-Boateng is a newcomer who’s gotten healthier, junior Troy Bowles is a linebacker that joined the Michigan program and is currently rehabbing from an undisclosed injury.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Jaydn Ott
Top transfer RB signs with OU
- 2Hot
Potential landing spots
For Nico Iamaleava
- 3Trending
Mel Kiper
3-Round Mock Draft
- 4
Marcus Freeman
Reacts to Nico Iamaleava
- 5
Brian Kelly reflects
On Kyren Lacy
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“No, he has not practiced,” Jean-Mary revealed. “We knew that coming in, that he had to get a little clean up surgery, and we told him we weren’t gonna rush him back. That was our big selling point with him was we kinda knew what type of player he was and what we were inheriting, and we wanted him to be 100 percent healthy.
“He wanted to go through spring. He said he could go through spring — because he had been playing with it — to establish himself, but we assured him that once he got healthy, he’d have every opportunity to come in and earn playing time.”
Jean-Mary has liked the way Bowles has acclimated to the Michigan program.
“He’s been here, he’s been great in the meetings, he’s been a full participant in the weight room so he can do conditioning stuff,” the Michigan coach said. “He just hasn’t gone 11-on-11 football yet.”
That will happen in the fall, and Jean-Mary is confident of it.
“Oh yeah,” Jean-Mary said of if Bowles will be 100 percent healthy in the fall.
Added Jean-Mary, with a laugh: “If he wasn’t, then he better be a lot better … and I think he’s good … if we let him miss that much.”
Bowles is a 6-0, 220-pounder who played in five games in 2023 and redshirted in 2024. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Overall, Jean-Mary is pleased with the depth in his room.
“We have some other young guys that we’re high on — Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor — and we’d love to see what we have when we get Troy Bowles healthy and on the field,” Jean-Mary said.
