Back in 2017, after his second year as an on-field coach for Michigan football, there’s no way that Chris Partridge thought he would be Mike Barrett’s position coach seven years later. But here we are.
Barrett came to Ann Arbor as a defensive player, despite having played quarterback at Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes. He arrived in 2018 and struggled to find his footing, but making a name for himself in 2019 on special teams. He played directly under Partridge both on special teams and, at that time, as a safety, before the coach departed the Wolverines for Ole Miss in 2020.
Now Partridge is back in Ann Arbor coaching linebackers, as he was from 2016-18, and Barrett has grown up — as a player and into the linebacker position after being a safety as well as a viper. Now in his sixth year, Barrett has emerged as a starter and one of Michigan’s best playmakers.
“Yeah, really awesome. Mike was recruited as a defensive player that never played defense before when he got here,” Partridge said. “He was the high school quarterback. So his development through the years, it’s been incredible. He’s developed himself into a bona fide star linebacker and a guy that’s gonna play in the NFL for a long time. And it’s really awesome. Makes me feel really good. Because when you get a guy like that, and you see a vision for them, and then it actually comes to fruition and makes you feel good, right? You convinced him, you convinced his family, ‘Hey! Come up to Michigan, you can play linebacker,’ when they never, never played defense before.”
Barrett also got the honor to be named a team captain this year, one of six — all of whom are seniors, fifth-years, or in Barrett’s case, a sixth-year. Once he heard the news, Partridge really felt like he had seen the player he recruited from SEC country come full circle, and he even decided to have a little fun with it.
Thankfully for Barrett, Partridge didn’t let his prank go too far.
“I’m excited for Mike. And now to see him be a captain — it really is awesome,” Partridge said. “Really proud of him. We pranked his mom. When he got announced captain, I called her and I was like, ‘You need to call Mike right now! You need to tell–‘ She’s like, ‘What has he done now?!’ And then we got on the phone and told them but yeah — it’s a really cool thing to see his development.”
Fans will get a chance to see Barrett in action on Saturday when Michigan football hosts East Carolina for the 2023 season opener. The game will take place at The Big House at noon EDT and will be streamed live on Peacock.