We all knew Ernest Hausmann was going to be a commanding force in the middle of the defense. We all knew Jaishawn Barham could dominate in a more pass-rush-heavy role. Both of those are still true, but there are other reasons to be excited about the Michigan Wolverines’ linebackers room.
Senior Jimmy Rolder has taken on greater responsibilities with Barham as more of an edge rusher. It is easy to play alongside Hausmann, but he has given defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and linebackers coach
Brian Jean-Mary valuable reps.
Beyond Rolder, one of the most exciting players not only on the defense but on the entire team is sophomore Cole Sullivan. His athleticism is next-level, his instincts are sharp and he plays with that swagger and attitude necessary to dominate.
Head coach Sherrone Moore had nothing but praise for his rising star on the latest edition of the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show on Monday evening.
“It’s been awesome,” Moore said. “It’s been priceless to watch the evolution, one of Cole Sullivan from where he was last year. You can see the skillset. You can see the ability, but to watch him in spring and fall camp and know, oh yeah, this guy is going to be a dude.”
Rolder has caught his attention, too.
“Just really carrying on what we saw at the end of the year last year, into the spring, into the fall,” Moore said. “And it’s been immensely valuable for us to be able to do that and put Jaishawn all over the field.”
Quick Hitters
- The offensive line could be all the way back this weekend
- Michigan has dealt with several key offensive line injuries so far, namely to left guard Giovanni El-Hadi and right guard Brady Norton. But the fortunes are turning, as Moore said, “We’re on a good track to have everybody back. Only time will tell as we go through the week, but it looks like we’ll have everybody back as we go through the week.” Gear up for some tough, physical, Midwestern football on Saturday against Wisconsin.
- Rolder is making the most of his opportunities
- Rolder had mostly been a rotational piece during his college career, but with Barham taking more reps at edge, Rolder has slotted in nicely. He is also not dealing with the bevy of injuries that limited him last season.
- “I didn’t feel like myself out there moving around and at times, cautious about maybe re-injuring it or aggravating something,” Rolder said. “Throughout the game, those injuries, I would feel them, and it hampered my performance. It just feels good to be able to go out there … as healthy as you can be.”
- Jean-Mary LOVES his group’s depth, and it is a microcosm of the program
- “We’ve always talked about having multiple starters in that room. It’s very fluid,” Jean-Mary said.
- We have already discussed Rolder and Sullivan’s impacts, but that quote by Jean-Mary reflects a greater theme that has helped Michigan have so much success lately. Look at the offensive line — even when stars go down, there are reinforcements ready and hungry to contribute.
