Michigan’s linebacker room is getting a fresh start, and Alex Whittingham thinks there’s plenty to like about what’s taking shape.
With Jimmy Rolder, Ernest Hausmann, Jaishawn Barham and Cole Sullivan gone from the offseason mix, the Wolverines head into fall camp with real questions in a new defensive scheme. But the linebacker coach isn’t sounding alarm bells. On “In the Trenches,” Whittingham pointed to a group that’s young, eager and steadily growing into bigger jobs.
“I see a room that is hungry and eager to get after it and make names for themselves,” Whittingham said on In the Trenches. “We lost a good amount of good players to the Draft or the Transfer Portal or whatever the case was. And the guys that are stepping up now - the Chase Taylors, the Troy Bowles, the Nato Owusus - those guys are eager to show what they can do.
“And it makes it fun to work with them and teach them. And they're so open to being coached and showing up each and every day willing to work on a new technique, a new aspect of fundamental football. It's fun, and I think fans should be excited about what they're about to see from these guys.”
Bowles, Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng are the biggest holdovers in line for expanded roles. Bowles logged 210 defensive snaps for Michigan in 2025, while Taylor played 80 and Owusu-Boateng 75. This offseason, the challenge has been twofold: grow into more responsibility and learn a new defense at the same time.
Whittingham said the group made real strides over the spring, not just in scheme and technique, but in adjusting to a brand-new staff and the standards that come with it.
“A ton of progress was made by a lot of guys, and credit to them,” Whittingham said. “There was a lot for them to learn, not just fundamentally from scheme and technique standpoint, but just as a culture as a whole.
“Seeing a brand-new coaching staff come in and figuring out what us as coaches, what we're looking for as far as behaviors and mentalities and practice habits, stuff like that, and seeing guys buy into that along with the new techniques that we're trying to teach and the new schemes and the calls. The progress that was made in so many regards was really encouraging. And we're really happy with where we're at.”
Bowles, in particular, drew strong praise. Whittingham said he “had a fantastic spring” and “made huge strides” in the weight room, adding good weight without losing speed.
He also called Bowles one of the faster players in the room and said his football IQ stands out because of his coach’s-son background. Just as important, Bowles is starting to grow into a leadership role.
“We were hungry for leadership in that room and looking for guys to step forward and to be that guy, not just for the room and for the unit, but for the team,” Whittingham said. “We're looking for guys to step up and do that, and Troy's doing a great job of that.”
Owusu-Boateng’s spring wasn’t spotless, but Whittingham liked the way he handled it. After dealing with minor injuries, he kept pushing through and continued working to get his body right.
“Nate has done a great job of buying in to what we're trying to do,” Whittingham said. “He dealt with some injuries this spring, just a little minor things, got dinged up here and there.
But he showed his toughness by playing through it and doing the best that he could to get his body out, his body healthy to get out there and practice for us. And he's getting more physical each and every day.”
Taylor may have been the most eye-catching name in Whittingham’s breakdown. The coach didn’t hold back there.
“Chase Taylor, man, he's going to be special. I think we should be really excited about him.
He's filling out, putting on weight, maturing as a student, as a player, as a person. He makes things look easy out there and has so many athletic gifts that he's been blessed with.
And he's going to be fun to watch, for sure.”
There’s also depth starting to surface behind the top names. Freshmen Aden Reeder, Markel Dabney and Kaden Catchings have all impressed by getting up to speed quickly. And the transfer additions - Aisea Moa from Michigan State, Max Alford from BYU and Nathaniel Staehling from North Dakota State - bring experience that could matter right away.
Whittingham said Moa’s familiarity with the system has already helped the room, especially since he’s been able to function like “that extra coach in the room.” Two of the transfer additions were not healthy this spring, so Michigan still hasn’t seen everything they can offer on the field. Even so, Whittingham said the group is learning fast and expects the younger players to help this fall.
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