Michigan Football: What we learned about linebackers this spring

Looking back at the spring for Michigan football, here’s what we learned about the linebacker position this spring. 

It was a strong spring for the Michigan football program. The Wolverines wrapped up their spring ball workouts on April 1 with their spring game.

Yet, we are still taking a position-by-position look at the Michigan football team and after working our way through the offense, we are onto the defense.

Our first look was at the defensive line/edge rushers. I tend to group those players together with the way Michigan’s scheme works.

Some of those EDGE players wil stand up and even have linebacker responsibilities at times, but it’s different than the linebacker role played by guys like Junior Colson, Michael Barrett, and others.

Not that long ago, some Michigan football fans viewed linebacker as a weakness. I never bought that, especially last season, and now it’s one of the strengths, and here’s what we learned about the position this spring.

What we learned about linebackers this spring

Michigan football made a key addition from the transfer portal by adding Ernest Hausmann from Nebraska and he turned some heads this spring.

Junior Colson had a breakout season last year and he’ll be even better in 2023. I fully expect Colson to be in the conversation as a first or second-day draft pick as early as the 2024 draft. He’s the total package at linebacker and this year, he’ll reach new heights.

Barrett is as solid as ever and despite the loss of Nikhai Hill-Green in the transfer portal, there is some really solid depth with Jimmy Rolder, as well as Micah Pollard, who turned some heads as a freshman too, although he didn’t play as much as Rolder did.

Regardless of who starts the game, Barrett, Colson, and Hausmann are all going to play a lot. Hausmann can be special and the pairing of him and Colson is freakish. Barrett is damn good too and often underrated.

I believe he would be drafted this weekend if he had declared. Barrett can run, and cover, he’s a solid tackler and he’s an ace special-teams player. Instead, Michigan football has three NFL-caliber linebackers and that doesn’t even mention Rolder.

Frankly, Rolder is probably good enough to start for some Big Ten teams. In fact, I know he is. I don’t mean that as a shot at anyone. This linebacker group is just really good and Michigan football fans should consider themselves lucky.