Michigan received good news on the defensive side of the ball with multiple starters returning to the program in 2025.

With the likes of Jaishawn Barham, Derrick Moore, TJ Guy, and Ernest Hausmann set to play their final year of eligibility in Ann Arbor, it's a major win for the Wolverines in the transfer portal era, as programs struggle to keep a core nucleus of players together from year to year.

Moore, who is expected to be one of the leaders of the defense next season, met with reporters on Saturday during the Wolverines' Reliaquest Bowl practices.

He broke down his decision to return.

"A lot of things," Moore said. "I felt like this season right here, I don't want to say a fluke or anything like that. I want to say it was a lesson. A lot of people were stepping up into new roles, from coaches to players and other staff members. Going into next season, we just know what we gotta do to get back to where we were last year. That's one of the things we talked about.

"I just want to get back to where Michigan used to be. When I got here, Michigan wasn't a talk-down program. We were the talk of college football. So I want to get Michigan back to where we were."

Hausmann is viewed in the same light as Moore, someone who will be a vital piece to the defense and a team leader.

"I'll be coming back to Michigan next year," Hausmann told reporters. "I think you weigh all the different decisions you have to make and, obviously, it's a new era of college football so each person has a different thing they look at. At the end of the day, I want to come back to Michigan for another year."

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