Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham "meeting the challenge"

Brian Jean-Mary has returned to Ann Arbor after the last three seasons at Tennessee. He takes over a linebacker room, facing a challenge he says will not be easy.

"The challenge before we started practice was we lost two big-time linebackers," Jean-Mary said in a recent media availability. "Two of the better linebackers to come out of Michigan in the last two decades in Michael Barrett and Junior Colson. Two guys, when I said I was an admirer from afar, I watched closely because having a personal relationship with both. I thought they played as high of a level as linebackers as any group in the country. We know the bar was set high, and that was the challenge coming in."

One answer to the challenge was part of the 2023 roster, Ernest Hausmann. The former Nebraska linebacker transferred to Ann Arbor last spring and found a role immediately. Hausmann played significant snaps in rotation with Barrett and Colson but also spent time learning. Not just what made those two great on the field, but what it takes to be a leader off.

"The main guy has been Ernest Hausmann, who has kind of taken over that leadership role. The one thing that I was always appreciative of watching as a linebacker coach was their ability to make adjustments and coming here and watching their actual games, the way that they played the game. Obviously, very, very physical and productive, but their ability to adjust to things on the fly was as good as any group I've ever seen both coaching and evaluating as a coach."

Next to Hausmann will be another Big Ten transfer with former Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham. Michigan got a close-up look at Barham when they played Maryland the last two seasons, but now, with Barham on the team, the hype machine has been full speed this spring.

"Jaishawn is a super-talented young man. He's got some Big Ten experience from playing at Maryland. The biggest thing that kind of goes back to the culture piece that we talked about, he fits us as a young man and the way he goes about his day-to-day as a professional."

Barham's physical talent is obvious to anyone who has seen him. His work ethic and effort have impressed teammates and coaches. Unlike Hausmann, Barham is new to the Michigan defensive scheme and playing the MIKE, learning that scheme will be a top priority.

"The big thing is him trying to learn the defense. We've thrown him in and we didn't throw him in the shallow end, we threw him into the deep end. He's been running with the first team, and he has a standard he knows he has to live up to. He's done a good job. We'd love him to be more vocal as a linebacker because that's the standard that's been set here. He's working toward it, he's not the most outgoing kid, which there is nothing wrong with that, for us to reach the levels we need to reach, we need him to be able to communicate more and be more open that way."

They aren't there yet, but it's only April. Hausmann and Barham have a high bar to reach, but they aren't going to do it pretending to be Barrett and Colson. They'll need to be their own players and find their own voice. If Jean-Mary is right, this duo is well on their way.

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