ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Just before the 2026 season kicked off, the expectation was that the Michigan football linebackers were the weak spot of the team. Even defensive coordinator Jay Hill was skeptical about how the group would be, saying, 'Yeah, give me a couple weeks, and I'll tell you exactly how good they're playing,' just days before the season opener. He was optimistic, but he was also realistic -- unsure of exactly what he was going to get once the games were live.
Well, three weeks in, Hill loves what he has at the position.
"I think they're playing beyond what anyone really expected at this point," Hill said. "They've been physical. They picked up the scheme well. I think they're doing a real good job. This will be, I think, 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, so we need them to continue to do that."
The good news for Michigan is that there isn't just one player who is meeting or exceeding expectations.
While Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Staehling were the darlings of fall camp, perhaps the most impressive linebacker thus far has been Troy Bowles. But all three have flashed, as have Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Aisea Moa, and even Max Alford is starting to get into the mix.
Hill broke down what he's liked about the six who have gotten onto the field and shared what each is doing that's impressed him thus far.
"Well, I love Troy. I mean, he flies around," Hill said. "He's a little missile out there, 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.
"I think Coach Whittingham's done a phenomenal job with the whole linebacker group. 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, 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, like Nate Owusu-Boateng has been a guy the last two games that's really flashed, and at other times it's been Nathaniel Staheling or Chase Taylor, and then Ice Mo has done some really good things, and now Max Alford's starting to look healthy. So I think those six guys as a group are doing some really good things."
They haven't been perfect, as linebackers generally aren't.
Last week, Taylor noted that 'we could definitely improve a lot,' when asked about facing tight ends in coverage. He particularly lamented facing off against Oklahoma tight end Rocky Beers, who had six catches for 94 yards. Beers was often found on crossing routes, and thus was facing linebackers in coverage.
However, Hill gives Taylor a pass, because it's not all about being perfect -- players are going to make plays. And to this point, Hill has been pleased with what he's gotten from the group.
"Well, I mean, there was one coverage that Chase is referring to with himself in particular, and that's gonna happen at times when you're playing really good players that have scholarships as well," Hill said. "I mean, there's gonna be times that they say that, but I think in general, the linebacker coverage has been pretty good. It's been pretty sticky, and so we just got to keep getting better."
The linebackers will have another challenge, as Hill said, going up against Iowa and its stellar run game. Kickoff is slated for 3:36 p.m. EDT at The Big House, with the game set to be broadcast on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jay Hill says Michigan linebackers are playing at 'NFL-style' level
