Hausmann will step into a veteran role for the Wolverines as the team aims to reload in 2024.
As the Michigan Wolverines gear up for the 2024 football season, linebacker Ernest Hausmann is at the forefront of preparations, embracing new challenges and refining the team’s championship-winning formula.
Hausmann’s insights, shared on the recent episode of “In the Trenches ,” provide a compelling look into his mindset and the team’s evolving strategies. The third-year linebacker also emphasized the shift in mentality now that Michigan is defending a national championship.
“Going into this year is a little different mentally,” Hausmann said. “Because now when you are at the top, now you’re looking down. Everyone is trying to get you.
“And so you look back on it with the blueprint that was made in terms of how to win a national championship. That was a blueprint for when you were trying to chase it. Now we won it, we know how to reach it. We know it’s gonna be that much harder to do it again. Now it’s about using that blueprint, knowing what worked and also looking at going back on it and being like, ‘What can we do even better?’ Because the margin of error last year, it’s that much smaller this year.”
The Wolverines are undergoing significant changes on the defensive side with Wink Martindale’s new scheme. Hausmann provided insights into the challenges and opportunities that come with this transition.
“The biggest difference with a new defense is the communication side of things,” Hausmann explained. “When you have a new system, new defensive coordinator, a lot of terminology they had that they used in the past obviously comes with them. The biggest is how do you understand the terminology. What does it mean? When do you use it? When do you say it? When do you not?
“And then obviously the style,” he continued. “What calls do they want to do in different situations, or what do they want to do with personnel and different things like that? And so that’s the main thing. Playing through spring ball and just being here, it’s a whole new defense, it’s all different. So it’s gonna be fun. Really excited about it.”
Hausmann also took time to praise Martindale’s approach to integrating the new scheme, noting his willingness to incorporate player feedback.
“What I respect about coach Wink is he allows players to have feedback and responses so that he can best gauge,” the former Nebraska transfer said. “Because he’s seen it all at the end of the day.”
Much has also been made of the potential impact of Maryland transfer linebacker Jaishawn Barham joining the Wolverines this offseason. Reflecting on his role as a mentor to the new transfer linebacker, Hausmann underscored the importance of his own experiences in adapting to new systems.
“I know I provide a valuable resource for him being in that position and how to best learn this defense.” Hausmann said. “With a new defensive coordinator, things have changed completely. It’s a whole different scheme, a whole new defense. But also I’ve been in that position to how you adapt to a whole new system, new scheme. And so for myself I had to use that coming from the portal, that mindset. Now I have to do it again. I can provide help when he needs that, too.”
As it pertains to Barham, Hausmann aims to offer the same level of help that he received during the 2023 season. Speaking on the impact of recently departed linebackers Michael Barrett and Junior Colson, Hausmann heavily credited the two veteran LBs on his own personal development.
“They were pros from day one,” Hausmann said. “What they did each and every day was so routine, so regimented, that they knew what they had to do in order for them to be the most successful players and teammates for this team.”