Kyle Whittingham names Michigan’s top 3 LBs through spring practice

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - APRIL 19: Chase Taylor #29 of the Michigan Wolverines competes during the third quarter of the Maize vs Blue spring football game at Michigan Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images for ONIT) | Getty Images for ONIT

Michigan’s group of linebackers is quite different now after a strong year from the position group in 2025. Gone are the top four contributors from last year’s team in Jaishawn Barham, Ernest Hausmann, Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan, so a handful of relatively unfamiliar names will be seeing the field plenty this fall.

To help address the lack of depth, new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff were pretty active in the transfer portal across the roster. This is especially so at linebacker, where the Wolverines added four players with varying levels of experience.

On Thursday, however, Whittingham didn’t include any of the incoming transfers when listing who he views as the team’s top three linebackers at the moment. Instead, he mentioned a trio of returning players: senior Troy Bowles, and sophomores Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng.

Michigan brought in Max Alford, Aisea Moa, Christian Pierce, and Nathaniel Staehling via the portal. At their previous stops, Staehling was the only one that played a prominent role by playing in 32 career games and being a team captain for FCS powerhouse North Dakota State in 2025.

It’s perhaps a bit surprising to not hear him listed as one of the three biggest standouts in the linebacker room, but it’s also encouraging to hear young players like Taylor and Owusu-Boateng mentioned. Taylor impressed the previous coaching staff during last year’s fall camp when he was a true freshman. Meanwhile Owusu-Boateng’s athleticism and ability were never a concern, but he did need to add some weight to his relatively undersized frame when he enrolled last year.

Earlier in the offseason, new defensive coordinator Jay Hill spoke highly of Michigan’s group of linebackers saying, “I see potential and I see a lot of talent in that group.” At the time, his lone concern was experience, but noted that’s something that will have to continue to develop this offseason. Whittingham offered a similar sentiment on Thursday.

“As far as relative to game reps, it’s a work in progress and that’ll carry through the summer,” Whittingham told reporters at Schembechler Hall on Thursday.

Michigan’s defense as a whole will be a work in progress throughout the offseason as it seeks to replace starters at all three levels, but the early returns seem promising so far. The young talent is there, but it’ll still be a matter of making sure the lack of experience doesn’t become a problem come September.