TAMPA, Fla. — The sun peeked in and out of the clouds in southwest Florida as Saturday morning turned to afternoon and Michigan football went through its second on-site practice ahead of Tuesday’s ReliaQuest Bowl matchup vs. No. 11 Alabama.
It was a day intended to focus on defense, with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale speaking to the media as well as four players remaining from his unit: linebacker Ernest Hausmann, edge Derrick Moore and safeties Brandyn Hillman and Quinten Johnson.
Here are the three main narratives from Saturday’s practice before the team headed to Busch Gardens in the afternoon.
It was a pretty clear sign he intended to return next year when he showed up at bowl practice, but Hausmann, U-M’s leading linebacker, left nothing open to interpretation when asked about his future plans.
I’ll be coming back to Michigan,” Hausmann said Saturday. “You weigh all the different decisions you have to make, and obviously it’s a new era of college football. So, each person has different things they look at.
“For me, at the end of the day, it came down to I want to be here at Michigan for one more year.”
An All-Big Ten honorable mention by both coaches and media in 2024, Hausmann led the Wolverines with 82 tackles, including two sacks and an interception.
The expectation is the former Nebraska transfer will return alongside Jaishawn Barham (a Maryland transfer who had 65 tackles in 2024), though given U-M’s need along the defensive line, there’s a chance Barham could move to edge and open a spot for either a transfer or a returning Wolverine such as Jimmy Rolder.
Either way, Hausmann’s return is a noted boost.
Young guys ready to step up on defense
In the meantime, Michigan will be without nearly half its starting defense vs. the Tide as Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson and Makari Paige have all opted out of the game.
Either way, Hausmann’s return is a noted boost.
Young guys ready to step up on defense
In the meantime, Michigan will be without nearly half its starting defense vs. the Tide as Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson and Makari Paige have all opted out of the game.
