Experience trumps potential in Michigan's reshuffled linebacker room

When it comes to playing in the Big Ten, having a defense that can bully opposing offenses is a must. Michigan has mastered the art of bullyball on defense, but this season the linebacker group is looking worse for wear. However, one transfer could change that.

After losing all of its starters last season at linebacker, Michigan will start from scratch at the position, but not all hope is lost. There is returner Chase Taylor, who rotated in at times in 2025, but the biggest addition to this position is North Dakota State transfer Nathaniel Staehling.

Staehling brings a wealth of experience to the position that other guys in the room, like Troy Bowles and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, just don't have. When it comes to linebackers in the Big Ten, Staehling was rated as the fourth-best returner in the conference, according to PFF, with a rating of 79.0.

It may not seem like Staehling's rating is anything to write home about, but considering he is coming from North Dakota State, which was not yet an FBS school, it is impressive that he stacks up against other returning linebackers in the Big Ten.

Michigan's linebacker room needs all the help it can get going into 2026

The linebacker room is going to look fairly strong for years to come with young guys like Taylor, Bowles, and Owusu-Boateng sticking around in Ann Arbor. That doesn't fix the current problem at hand, though, with Michigan needing solid talent on the field this season.

Staehling's experience is big in comparison to a very inexperienced group at Michigan, but he is making the move from Division II to Division I football. Granted, North Dakota State has dominated in its own realm, but now Staehling is playing with the big boys of the Big Ten, so there are bound to be some growing pains.

Even with Staehling making the transition, he is still by far the most talented linebacker that Michigan has and will be leaned on heavily, especially in the beginning of the season.

Alex Whittingham was tasked with leading this group when his father called him up and lured him away from the Kansas City Chiefs. Whittingham's NFL experience will help this group grow for years to come, but also get them ready to play effectively on the field come Week 1.

Looking at Michigan's defense as a whole, the linebackers are clearly the weakest link, but with a strong defensive line up front, it could take pressure off the group. Right now, the main focus for the linebackers needs to be just getting more and more comfortable on the field every day. There is a small margin of error at that position, so just keeping everything in front of them will go a long way.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow