Michigan's defense is stacked from top to bottom with playmakers and guys who are ready to get after the ball. The Wolverines have always had a strong defense, but there is one position group this offseason that has raised more questions about how they will perform this season.
If the linebacker positions immediately came to mind upon reading that, then you would be correct. As the most inexperienced group on the Michigan roster as a whole, there are a lot of question marks about how they will be able to perform with a high-caliber defense like the Wolverines tend to have.
Reports out of training camp have been positive for the linebackers, and even junior and former Georgia transfer Troy Bowles believes this group can do way more than anyone expects of them this season.
"I kind of like it that way, so I feel like people are gonna be surprised because it's definitely the most uncertain group," Bowles said. "So I feel like we are gonna surprise a lot of people."
While some may feel the linebackers will be a weakness for #Michigan this season, LB Troy Bowles says this unit will surprise a lot of people under first-year LB coach @alexwutangham pic.twitter.com/Yon62sbvoK
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) August 24, 2026
Michigan's linebackers have become one of the most improved groups in fall camp
Bowles himself said that the linebackers are the most uncertain group of this Michigan team heading into the 2026 season. After losing all their main starters last season, the Wolverines had to start from scratch with young guys and transfer talent. That includes Bowles, Chase Taylor, Nathaniel-Owusu-Boateng, and North Dakota State transfer Nathaniel Staehling.
It is expected that those four will be the main rotation in the middle of the field, coached by new linebackers coach Alex Whittingham, the son of head coach Kyle Whittingham. Now, Alex brings a lot of great experience to this new linebacker group, having spent the last eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and defensive coordinator Steve Spanuolo.
The linebackers will be more of a rotating group this season, anchored by Staehling, the most experienced of his fellow position players. Along with the four mentioned above, the rotation could involve up to six players, including Max Alord and Aisea Moa.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill made the defensive change of playing Michigan in a 4-2-5 scheme, which means the two linebackers in the middle of the field will have more space to cover.
With the new defensive scheme, the rotation of the linebackers makes more sense, getting fresh bodies out there every couple of plays to keep the middle of the field as clean as possible. Hill himself said the linebackers have become a very strong group and the most improved in fall camp, adding to the narrative that they could surprise a lot of doubters this season.
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