Sherrone Moore addresses Ernest Hausmann's status with Michigan

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore offered a brief update on the status of senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann for the team’s bowl game. The team captain missed the final two games of the regular season against Maryland and Ohio State.

That has cast some doubt on his status for the Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31. Speaking in front of reporters Sunday, Moore explained Hausmann is dealing with some personal things and also still trying to recover from a thumb injury.

“Ernest is going through some things that I don’t really want to talk on or speak on,” Moore said. “Things from a personal standpoint. He’s also been dealing with a thumb that happened in the Northwestern game. So just things that he’s been dealing with and we’re just here to support him.”

Hausmann is a key piece for the Wolverines defense, ranking second on the team with 68 tackles. That’s in addition to one sack and one pass defended.

If Ernest Hausmann does not play in the Citrus Bowl, it will mean that he played the final game as a Michigan Wolverine on Nov. 15 against Northwestern. He would end his career as a Wolverines with 203 total tackles (14.5 for loss), three sacks, one interception and two passes defended.

With the 6-foot-2 linebacker likely looking toward his NFL career, that could potentially be a factor that causes him to sit out of the Citrus Bowl. We also don’t know the full extent of the personal situation that he is dealing with, so his status is truly up in the air at this point.

Michigan finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and has a chance to reach 10 wins for the fourth time in the past five years if it beats Texas in the bowl game. Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Sherrone Moore also updates status of RB Justice Haynes for bowl game

Michigan junior running back Justice Haynes underwent foot surgery in early November and missed the final four games of the regular season. Moore was asked if he’ll be available to play against the Longhorns but didn’t have a definitive answer.

“It’s something we’ll look at and we’ll see,” the Michigan coach said. “His progress is going really well, so we’ll get more of an answer and clarity as we go through this week.”

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Haynes has rushed 121 times for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.