Latest Michigan football fall camp buzz on the Wolverines’ elite defense

Second-year defensive coordinator Jesse Minter may be commanding one of the most prolific defenses that the Wolverines have seen in quite some time. From veteran stars like Kris Jenkins to new transfers like Ernest Hausmann, the defensive unit is looking complete and elite heading into the 2023 season (just 13 days away). Here is the latest Michigan football fall camp buzz after media availability on Friday.

Michigan football fall camp buzz shows linebackers and defensive line continue to step up

Just 13 days out from the 2023 Michigan football season, it appears that the Wolverines’ stellar defense is locked and loaded with its sights set on a third-straight Big Ten Championship and more. On Friday, we had a chance to speak with sophomore transfer linebacker Ernest Hausmann, who is currently locked in a major position battle against Mike Barrett for a starting linebacker spot alongside Junior Colson.

According to Hausmann, the defense has meshed well so far, especially among the linebackers and defensive linemen.

“With our incredible interior line, it’s our job to get them on the double teams,” Ernest Hausmann explained on Friday afternoon at Schembechler Hall. “We know that offenses obviously are gonna counter with them, they need to double them because we know that a one-on-one on them, our D-line is gonna win that battle. So in return, we know that, obviously, the offensive line is gonna double them, so it’s our job to make sure we get them off the double teams and in any way possible.”

An elite defense is being crafted in Ann Arbor

One of the best parts about this year’s Michigan football defense is that someone will always get single-teamed — be it a linebacker, defensive tackle, or edge rusher. As defensive end Derrick Moore said on Friday, that’s a “quarterback nightmare.”

“So, that’s kind of how we just work hand in hand in that, and just make sure that we get them other double teams, and we know where they’re going to try to win and all these other things, so we can be a successful defense,” Hausmann concluded.

First-year Wolverine Ernest Hausmann is ready to take charge

Even though Ernest Hausmann is in the middle of his first-ever Michigan football fall camp, he is already stepping up and helping the linebackers lead the defense. After starting at Nebraska during his true freshman season, it’s clear that Hausmann is ready to compete and is not shying away from a new system or heightened talent.

“That’s one of the things about being linebackers that I love is that we take charge of the defense,” he stated, “we have to make sure that we make everything right. Like I said before, we give them the freedom to do sometimes what they need to do to be successful, right? They’re gonna cause havoc, they’re gonna get tight with the ball. And with that, we know how offenses are going to try to combat that with their aggression and be able to play them. So we should just understand that and be able to make them right and fit the gaps that they might go into when they’re not in there.”

So far, so good for this year’s elite defensive unit during Michigan football fall camp. In fact, it appears that Jesse Minter’s “no-star” defensive style will continue to work, just as it did last fall when Michigan went 13-1 and won the Big Ten title.

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