From bringing in Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham to developing Ernest Hausmann into the leader of the defense, Michigan saw a lot of growth in its linebacker room in 2024:
Throughout the 2024 football season, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale constantly dialed up pressure and made a concerted effort to stop the run. The Wolverines relied heavily on linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham to keep opposing run games at bay, helping the team win some of the biggest games on the schedule.
There were some massive moments during the season, but there were also gaps within the defense at times. Nonetheless, the Michigan Wolverines showed improvement throughout the 13-game slate and their entire linebacker room returns in 2025.
Here is our 2024 review for the linebackers.
LB Ernest Hausmann
Hausmann’s 2024 season began on a positive note with in-helmet communication , a new rule in college football where one player on defense (and one on offense) is able to communicate with the sidelines. He had 712 snaps wearing the green dot – more snaps than anyone along the defense — which led to 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.
Hausmann was asked to do a lot in Martindale’s scheme, and he notched 10+ tackles in three different games over the 2024 season.
There is a lot more room to grow for Hausmann, so coming back in 2025 will only help him further develop his skills, and it’ll assuredly help the entire team.
LB Jaishawn Barham
Barham was entering his junior season with the Maryland Terrapins when he decided to transfer to Ann Arbor. He had a solid first season at Michigan, making 66 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback hits. He was another young linebacker who saw constant development throughout the season.
Barham is returning to Michigan for his senior season, and it appears he may be playing some edge rusher snaps in 2025.
LB Jimmy Rolder
If Barham does play predominately along the edge, Rolder will likely get more snaps on defense in 2025. Heck, it may happen anyways given how good he was this past season. Rolder recorded a tackle in all but one game, totaling 26 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and seven quarterback pressures. He only had 200 snaps, but he was Michigan’s third-highest graded player by Pro Football Focus on defense with an 83.2 overall grade.
At 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Rolder has the perfect body type to be a starting linebacker in college football, and he took advantage of his opportunities in 2024. He should have even more opportunities this fall.
Future Outlook
If Barham does change positions, there will be some changes at the position across the board. The Wolverines have Hausmann, Rolder, sophomore Cole Sullivan, and Georgia transfer Troy Bowles , the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head football coach Todd Bowles. Additionally, the Wolverines are bringing in four-star prospect Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, who was a highly regarded high school recruit.
There will be a lot to sort through, but position coach Brian Jean-Mary and the Wolverines have a lot of talent in the room.