Michigan Football: Sherrone Moore would be 'hard-pressed' to find a deeper linebacker room in the country

Michigan’s decision to move Jaishawn Barham to edge has not only had a profound impact on Barham’s play, but it’s also benefited the linebacker room, too.

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While it might be strange to think about losing a talented member of the room to another position, it means the depth chart takes a hit.

However, it’s allowed the defense to be able to showcase the depth it has available, which is one of the major reasons why Barham’s move was done with little pushback.

Outside of Ernest Hausmann being a known commodity on defense, the Wolverines’ defense has been aided by big contributions from the likes of Jimmy Rolder, Cole Sullivan and Troy Bowles, all players expected to find a role with the team at some point this season, perhaps quicker than most expected.

U-M head coach Sherrone Moore believes he has the best linebacking unit in the country and isn’t afraid to voice his opinions about it.

“I’d be hard-pressed to find another that is that deep,” Moore said on the Inside Michigan Football show this week. “It’s Troy Bowles’ play, too, he played a good amount of snaps. Chase Taylor is a freshman who we think is going to be really good, and I think we’re going to get Owusu back here soon. That room is so deep, and it’s so exciting, and Coach Wink’s done a really good job of getting the best 11 players on the field at every snap for whatever snap it is, but those guys, man, they’re violent, they practice hard, they practice physical, they’re all talented, they’re all smart, they’re all tough football players, and they all have ability.”

As for how the linebackers themselves feel about the changes to the room, Sullivan has been the one player who has arguably benefited the most from seeing increased playing time.

Consistently making plays through four games of the season, Sullivan says it’s a testament to the roster that has been assembled and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s knowledge of the scheme and his players’ strengths to put them in a position to be successful.

“I was excited to get to play more, but I think it just shows the kind of defense we have and the kind of players we have that we’re able to just move guys around,” Sullivan said on the In the Trenches podcast this week. “We always say, we want the best 11 out there, no matter who it is, so it just shows, obviously Jaishawn’s versatility, but there’s so many guys on our defense that we could move around and put different places. Coach Wink does a good job putting guys in the right spot to emphasize their strengths.”