Jay Hill Identifies Michigan Linebackers Who Are Impressing in Spring Ball

Under Jim Harbaugh, even under Sherrone Moore, the linebacker position has been steady at Michigan. You can go back just about any year and find a couple of linebackers who you could count on and knew would be in position to make plays.

However, the linebacker position is a bit of a mystery for the Wolverines heading into 2026. Michigan lost Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder, and Cole Sullivan from last season. The Maize and Blue return some raw talent, along with adding some veterans via the transfer portal.

On Thursday, new defensive coordinator Jay Hill spoke with the media and he spoke on his young linebackers and how they are just going to get better and better.

"Yeah, they’re young," Hill said. "They haven’t played a lot, but I see a lot of talent. Troy Bowles has stood out as someone that’s doing some good things. Nate Owusu-Boateng has done some great things. Chase Taylor. Bottom line, the group is going to continue to get better and better. There’s guys behind them pushing hard right now. So I like where they’re going to be. I see potential, and I see a lot of talent in that group. We’ve just got to get some experience. But the best part about spring ball and fall camp is we have 40 practices or so to get those guys ready."

Michigan LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng — MGoBlue.com

Will a second-year LB lead the way?

The BYU Cougars have had some talented linebackers under Hill and now the Wolverines will get a chance to learn from the experienced defensive coordinator. One trend under Hill was that second-year linebackers really got things rolling. Could that be the case this year at Michigan?

Not necessarily, says Hill, but players like Owusu-Boateng and Chase Taylor will likely be counted on right away, and both of them are second-year players.

"Well, that’s a big deal because we’re not necessarily going to have that this year in Michigan," said Hill. "We need some backers to step up and to be experienced in the defense even though it’s going to be their first year starting in it. But I would say this. In general, I think linebackers just get better and better and better the more they play.

"And you’ll see the same thing with our guys, and that’s what happened at BYU is our guys, the first year they were good, the next year they were better, and then last year Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glask were two of the best in the country. So you’ll see the same progression in the guys here."

Fans will get a chance to see the Wolverines in action on April 18 during the spring game.