Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football will get back leading tackler for 2025 football season

Trent Knoop|
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday brought some good news for Michigan football fans. Leading tackler and starting linebacker Ernest Hausmann confirmed to reporters that he would indeed be back in Ann Arbor for his senior season and play for Michigan in 2025.

Hausmann led the Wolverines in his first season as a starting linebacker. Hausmann recorded 82 tackles for the maize and blue in 2024. The next leading tackler was fellow linebacker Jaishawn Barham who had 65 tackles. The former Nebraska transfer also tallied seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception leading the middle of the Wolverines' defense.

Hausmann came to Michigan in 2023 after playing a ton of snaps for Nebraska in 2022 as a true freshman. Hausmann played behind Michael Barrett and Junior Colson last year but was still efficient after he recorded 46 tackles which was good enough for third on the team.

Barham hasn't announced he is officially returning to Michigan quite yet, but the expectation is that the Wolverines could move Barham to Edge next season. If that happens, Hausmann would have a fresh face starting alongside him on defense. Freshman Cole Sullivan could see extra snaps and so could junior Jimmy Rolder. Michigan also brought in former Georgia linebacker Troy Bowles and signed two linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class.

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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