It seems like year in and year out, there is one thing Michigan fans can depend on from the Wolverines: a dominant defense, even if the offense fails to produce. When Michigan won the National Championship in 2023, the offense was as good as it had been in a while, but not elite; it was the defense that really helped seal the deal that season.
Since then, Michigan's defense has continued to dominate while the offense has struggled to find its identity. Michigan finished with the No. 4 defense in the Big Ten last season, as the Wolverines just narrowly missed a College Football Playoff appearance. Many players from that defense are no longer on the team, and the group his the hardest by offseason attrition was the linebacker room.
While there are returners like Chase Taylor, who saw action in 10 games last season for the Wolverines, the loss of Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder, and Cole Sullivan will have a big impact. The rest of the defense looks strong, so there is no debate that the linebacker room is the weakest link.
However, there is one player who could be a breakout star to help elevate this linebacker room, and he is already in a Michigan uniform.
Michigan's linebacker room isn't the strongest but Chase Taylor could change that
As mentioned earlier, Taylor saw action in 10 games last season, recording only 10 total tackles, seven of them solo tackles. Those aren't amazing numbers from a linebacker, but knowing that Hausmann, Rolder, and Sullivan took most of the snaps last season, it is at least a foundation for the youngster.
With seven solo tackles, Taylor proved he knows how to take a guy down on his own in the second level. His size is another plus as a 6-foot-2, 237-pound presence in the middle of the field, who also has great mobility. Taylor will be joined by Troy Bowles and Nanathiel Owusu-Boateng as the projected linebacker starters, along with a few other transfers coming in the portal.
While other players have a chance to make a difference, Taylor seems like the leading man for this linebacker core that desperately needs to make its mark. The good news for these guys is that Michigan has a great defense line, which makes life a bit easier on linebackers, but Taylor and his teammates will have to clean up anything that gets through the line.
Taylor has been getting a lot of hype so far this offense, especially from defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who recently said he was the most improved player on the Michigan defense. That is high praise from the former BYU defense coordinator for a kid who wasn't even a highly-recruited prospect out of his class.
Not only can Taylor be great this next season, but he could turn into a great one-two punch with Owusu-Boateng, especially as two young guys who could spend a couple more years in Michigan uniforms.
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