Jim Harbaugh: Nikhai Hill-Green Is Where You Want 'A Starting LB' To Be
As Michigan Wolverines football began its transition to a new defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald in the winter and spring, four linebackers — Cornell Wheeler, William Mohan, Adam Shibley and Ben VanSumeren — decided to enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere.
The Wolverines eliminated the 'viper' position, a linebacker/safety hybrid spot, moving to a 3-4 base look, and are asking their linebackers to do some different things than they were accustomed to, so a certain amount of attrition should've been expected.
Heading into the summer, it looked like two Wolverines were well ahead at inside linebacker. Redshirt junior Josh Ross led the team in tackles last season with 53, so he's long been expected to continue starting games and leading the unit. Redshirt sophomore Michael Barrett, instead of leaving the program like some others, embraced his move inside from viper, and has impressed his coaches in the process, having come out of spring ball at the top of the depth chart.
But six days into fall camp, it appears there's some competition brewing.
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As reported by TheWolverine.com's Chris Balas in this morning's Inside The Fort, second-year freshman Nikhai Hill-Green — who appeared in just three games last season, with all of his time coming on special teams — has made a big move early on in camp and is running with the ones at times.
There are plenty of practices left until the season opens up Sept. 4, and Hill-Green will have to continue proving himself, but he's in a nice spot at this point, having had a great offseason.
"Nikhai Hill-Green is not a sophomore like you would think of a sophomore," head coach Jim Harbaugh said on the In The Trenches podcast with host Jon Jansen. "The way he studies the game, the way he plays, his physicality, his athletic ability — he’s right where you want him to be as a starting linebacker."
Still, the top dog at linebacker is Ross, who's pursuing the football with a vengeance.
"The guy that’s playing really good football — great football — is Josh Ross, and he’s doing it in every way," Harbaugh said. "Physically, mentally — he’s leading at the highest level. "Everybody respects him. And he’s getting to the ball like guys here in the past have gotten to the ball, played inside linebacker — Jordan Glasgow like, Devin Bush like. He’s impressive."
Barrett is expected to get plenty of playing time regardless, and still may hold onto a starting job when it's all said and done.
"Mike Barrett — he’s also one of those guys that, [his] athletic ability is toward the freakish side, with some of the things that he can do," Harbaugh said of the former high school quarterback. "I feel great right there."
There are only nine scholarship inside linebackers on the roster, and three of them are freshmen, but Harbaugh feels good about his depth at the spot, naming several backups who seeing positive things from.
"[Freshman early enrollee] Junior Colson has a lot of experience from the spring," Harbaugh said. "He’s right in there and knocking at the door to be a starting football player, as well.
"[Second-year freshman] Kalel Mullings has made a heck of a lot of strides. And then Anthony Solomon, as he’s getting his weight up and getting stronger and filling out, [is] doing a lot of really good things.
"Really happy with [freshman] Jaydon Hood, and then also [redshirt freshman] Joey Velazquez, who trains himself like no other, and has taken that to the field in special teams and at linebacker."
"I feel good about the players we’ve got, and the depth we’ve got, at linebacker."
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