Heading into the 2026 season, there weren’t very high expectations in Michigan’s linebacker room. The question marks were too large for a position group that had endured a vast amount of change both in the offseason and even during the season.
The initial starting two linebackers last year were Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, while the final two linebackers starting in the Citrus Bowl were Cole Sullivan and Jimmy Rolder. None of them are on the roster this season. Although Troy Bowles had received
some reps at the position a year ago, along with Chase Taylor, the majority of the snaps occurred on special teams.
Now, defensive coordinator Jay Hill is beyond impressed and said the group is “beyond what anyone really expected.” Even though Hill probably had a better indication of just how good the group was going to be compared to anyone outside Schembechler Hall, he’s still infatuated by what he’s seen so far.
“They’re playing beyond what anyone really expected at this point,” Hill said on Wednesday. “They’ve been physical. They picked up the scheme well. I think they’re doing a really good job. This will be the first time they’ve been really physically tested as far as the physicality of the running game, and so I’m excited to see how this game goes with that. But yeah, I mean they’ve exceeded everything. They’re playing like NFL-style linebackers right now.”
Everyone is expecting the Iowa game to be a low-scoring slugfest, as both programs often display a premier defense in college football. But the physicality in Big Ten play, especially from the Hawkeyes, is a challenge he’s excited to see how his defense takes on.
“It’s going to be a super physical game. I think the most physical, most prepared team will win, so we get super excited about it,” Hill said.
For the linebackers specifically, that physicality is going to show up most in the run game. The linebacker corp, so far, has shown they can handle anything an opposing offense throws at them. A large part of that is the preparation and grasp the group has had of Hill’s scheme defensively.
“They’ve all progressed so far, and we’re really doing more in our package than I thought we could at this stage of the thing,” Hill said. “So they’ve handled the install and the scheme very well, and it seems like each game somebody else steps up and really does some good things.”
One player that has really stepped up is Bowles. He has answered the call so far of being a linebacker Hill and the defense can rely on. He led the team in tackles in both Week 1 and Week 2 with 12 and nine, respectively, and he has also recorded three tackles for loss this season, third on the team.
“I love Troy. He flies around. He’s a little missile out there,” Hill said. “But he plays with the right intensity. He plays with the right physicality. He’s super smart. You can tell he’s a coach’s kid. But man, he’s been a dream to coach so far.”
As for the rest of the room, Taylor stepped up in Week 3 by leading the team with five total tackles and has had 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack so far. Nathaniel Staehling has proven to be a worthy addition through the transfer portal, as he tallied 16 total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Hill also mentioned several reserve linebackers, including Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Aisea Moa and Max Alford, who could become more involved as the season progresses or if injuries arise. Owusu-Boateng and Moa have had some run so far, recording three and two tackles respectively, as Alford is looking to be a contributor by returning from injury.
Nonetheless, the linebacker room has far exceeded expectations. The group is holding down the defense through the non-conference slate and will have their first Big Ten test on Saturday against the Hawkeyes.
