Tag: Michael Barrett

Michigan football is a boa constrictor that relishes suffocating its prey

The players are leaning into their new identity. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Even when it appears that one of the teams on Michigan’s schedule starts providing a challenge, it’s been awfully short-lived. Such was the case for Indiana in Week 7, much like Rutgers in Week 4 and Bowling Green in Week 3.

After two straight weeks of shutting down the opposition from the jump, the Wolverines returned home and let the Hoosiers march down the field for a touchdown on the second drive. Conversely, the offense couldn’t seem to move the ball, going three-and-out on the two opening offensive possessions.

But after that — pure domination.

Joel Klatt, the Fox Sports analyst, has likened Michigan football to a boa constrictor being in a small room with you. You’re going to have some fight, but eventually, the serpent will choke you to death. With the Wolverines having won 10 straight games by 30 or more points, you’re seeing the death in live action.

These players can even sense the moment when the opposition has given up, and it appears to be the focus of the team every game now.

“My favorite thing is watching them like their hope slowly go away,” sixth-year linebacker Michael Barrett said. “Watching that fight, just kind of diminish away from them. And just kind of get to the point to where they’re just like, ‘Let’s go home.” That’s kind of my favorite feeling. When you can just kind of feel that extra oomph go away. I think that that’s kind of what it is.”

“Similar to what Mike B. said, over the course of the game, how are we playing, we start to see some of their passion diminish,” sophomore safety Keon Sabb added. “Like a boa constrictor, you want to just keep applying pressure at all times until the end of the game.”

Ultimately, this is a confident bunch that knows what the ultimate goal is: a national championship.

The schedule has not yet been a challenge, but that will change in short order with a rivalry game against Michigan State coming up and Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State forthcoming in November.

And, in the meantime, as Michigan dominates, the team appears to be a reflection of its head coach, as Barrett says.

“Like coach always says, ‘We’re in the (expletive)-kickin’ business, and business is booming!’ You got to keep it going.”

Michigan football turns focus to MSU, but not focused on tunnel incident

Maturity from #Michigan, not surprised. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Now that Indiana has been vanquished, Michigan football can officially turn its focus to a rivalry game, one it’s certainly been looking forward to for nearly a year.

The Wolverines beat in-state rival Michigan State, 29-7, last year, but the postgame felt like a loss after two players were accosted in the stadium tunnel following the game. While that will certainly be a storyline all week for both sides, along with the sudden firing of MSU head coach Mel Tucker a few weeks ago, the current Wolverines are worried about just one thing: winning the game and retaining the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

“Just treat it like any other game, honestly,” sixth-year linebacker Michael Barrett said. “Prepare the same way we prepare every week. It’s that week now so we can finally start looking into them. But we kind of treat everybody the same — nameless, faceless opponents. We just prepare the same way each week prepare as hard as we can just go from there.

“But like just showing, telling all the younger guys, just gonna prepare because like it’s a rivalry game, right? These games always gonna be tough, always gonna be gritty. Probably going to end up raining, be like a tsunami or something like that. You never know with this kind of game. So just kind of get to prepare for anything, just getting ready.”

Has Michigan been particularly champing at the bit to play the Spartans to avenge what happened in the aftermath of last year’s game?

Senior wide receiver Roman Wilson says no, that the team isn’t thinking about last year, it’s focused solely on perfection this year. If the maize and blue prepare as they have all year long and play similarly, they’ll get the win, which is what matters most.

“Me personally, I don’t think so,” Wilson said. ” They’re always going to come in here, no matter where we’re at. They’re going to try to kick our (expletive deleted), you gotta have that same energy every time. It doesn’t matter what happens after the game, before the game. All that matters is what happens when we step on that field. So no, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Entering the game, Michigan is undefeated at 7-0 while Michigan State is 2-4 after losing to Rutgers in dramatic fashion in Week 7. The game will take place at Spartan Stadium where Jim Harbaugh is 2-1, and kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on NBC.

These Michigan football freshmen are impressing in fall camp

Excited to hear some of these names! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While Michigan football’s 2023 freshman class isn’t exactly making national headlines for how good it is on paper, there are several who are impressing a few of the team captains in fall camp.

We got a glimpse of a few in the spring game — running back Benjamin Hall, wide receiver Fredrick Moore, and cornerback Jyaire Hill — but who are some of the other first-year players who have made a strong, early impression?

Sixth-year linebacker Michael Barrett has liked a lot of what he’s seen, almost particularly on his side of the ball, though a few offensive players have also stood out to him. Barrett feels that once they get more acclimated and don’t have to split time with the freshman ‘bridge’ program, where they miss some time in camp for the classroom, that the group will really move to the next level.

“This freshman class, they got a lot of young dogs on there,” Barrett said. “On the edge, you have (Enow) Etta, I like the guys in our room and they’re working, man. So we got a couple of young guys — Jason Hewlett, Semaj Bridgeman, Hayden (Moore).  A guy like, like I said, Semaj Morgan on the offensive side, we’ve got Fred (Moore) on the offensive side. Yeah, we got a lot of young talent. DJ Waller, he’s working.

“A lot of young talent how that I feel like once they get comfortable, out of the classes — they’re working at bridge during the summer and during this time so they really couldn’t have the full time to be with us and learn everything. But I feel like once they get comfortable in the building and up and kind of go out the process, they’re definitely gonna make a lot of plays.”

Nickel Mike Sainristil has a little more familiarity with DJ Waller, as the former three-star and late addition from Ohio is in his position group. Waller has garnered some praise of late in fall camp and Sainristil explains exactly why there’s some newfound excitement about the player from Youngstown.

“DJ Waller — I think for his size, he’s very freaky,” Sainristil said. “Like he moves very well for his size, he runs better than people might think because of his size. And for him, I feel like once he does understand that, once he does get the overall concept of our defense, and once it slows down for him, he’s gonna be a really special player here.”

Fans will get their first chance to potentially see many of the aforementioned on Sept. 2, when the Wolverines host ECU for the noon season-opener at The Big House.

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Michigan football team captains reflect on pivotal moment when they knew they’d beat Ohio State in 2022

Now this is leadership in the most crucial of moments! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As Michigan football was working to secure a rarefied victory against Ohio State in Columbus — something that hadn’t been done in 20 years at that point — the Wolverines needed a spark. They needed some leadership.

But it wasn’t Jim Harbaugh or team coaches that provided it. It was player-led.

The maize and blue were galvanized on the sidelines when cornerback Mike Sainristil and linebacker Michael Barrett gave an impassioned plea to their teammates about the moment at hand. The Game was tight in the second half for a while, with the Wolverines wresting away a Buckeye halftime lead. But OSU was starting to fret, as its vaunted offense could do next to nothing while the visitors marched right down the field for a methodical touchdown. The defense had to hold serve, and that’s where the defensive duo came in.

Sainristil was seen as the ringleader of the sideline speech, and he backed it up with action, keeping tight end Cade Stover from catching a sure touchdown pass and forcing Ohio State to settle for a field goal. Michigan scored a long touchdown by Donovan Edwards in the immediate aftermath, essentially sealing the game. The Michigan nickelback says that his speech wasn’t planned, it was just something that happened in the moment.

“I will say nothing about that was forced,” Sainristil said. “Like I’ve mentioned before, that was just something that I noticed, how the opposing sideline looked. And I was like, ‘You know what? Right now, it’d be a great time to tell these guys, let’s keep going, this game’s not over. We just need to keep the foot on the gas. And just take everything away from those guys.’ Because their demeanor showed that it was over. We’re on our sideline energetic. And I just wanted to let everybody know if you keep going your hardest for four to six seconds per play, this game will be ours at the end. So that’s just something that I felt in my heart, I had to say at the time.”

Sainristil already had a captaincy in Ann Arbor, but Barrett didn’t earn one until this week, 10 months after that game. Yet, he exuded leadership in that moment.

For him, it was just a moment where he recognized that the almighty Buckeyes were down — not just in score, but emotionally — and that it was the perfect opportunity for the Wolverines to take advantage.

“We just knew we were playing a great game at that point,” Barrett said. “And just looking over to their sideline, just kind of seeing the defeat in their eyes and hanging their heads. We just wanted to get everyone together just let everyone know it’s our time to go finish this — like we’re here now. We know what we want to do, we know what we want to accomplish. Let’s go do it. There’s no point like — we see they’re defeated. Let’s go stomp them while they’re down.”

Michigan has now won two straight in the series and very well could be favored to win a third once The Game arrives in late November.

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Two linebackers impressing Michigan football veteran in fall camp

This group is getting to be exciting! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After being somewhere between questionable and a liability for years and years, Michigan football now appears to have a linebacker corps that’s deep and primed to impress in 2023.

Former position coach George Helow definitely elevated the group and did what he could considering there were few top-flight recruits in the room. But now with Chris Partridge back coaching the position, there is more ample personnel to go along with those who have cemented themselves recently.

One player who really improved over his career is Michael Barrett. The former high school quarterback at Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes really came into his own late last year, but there are some challenges this year given how deep the room is.

Though junior Junior Colson is considered the leader of the group, Barrett sees two others who are standing out now in fall camp.

“Jaydon Hood — I feel like he’s made a big step from last year,” Barrett said. “He’s coming along I feel — like really fast. Learning and being able to help us step into that next spot. Ernest (Hausmann) — like I said, he’s jumped coming along fast. He’s really impressed me just by how fast he’s been able to pick it up. Moving around as being comfortable in the defense already just being here, what, six months? So that’s really impressive.”

Hood is a former four-star who has really taken his time to develop, but there’s perhaps no more exciting name than Ernest Hausmann. A transfer from Nebraska entering his second year, Hausmann impressed in the spring game and is fighting Barrett for playing time.

What’s made him so good and such a formidable fall camp opponent in Barrett’s eyes? The sixth-year positional journeyman sees a young buck who has latched on quickly to what the defensive coaches are looking for.

“A quick learner, came in ready to learn, ready to work,” Barrett said. “Yeah, we push each other every day, just in our room. And in general, I feel like we just all kind of pushing each other, helping each other get better. It’s never any tension in the room, it’s always one to help the other, one be better and set up ourselves get better. So he’s just came in with just that will to learn, that grind that we’ve been looking for. And he’s definitely gonna help us a lot this year.”

Hausmann is up 17 pounds to 237 after weighing in at 220 for his freshman year in Lincoln. Expect to see him early and often throughout the year. And if Hood has come along, it will be interesting to see if he or sophomore Jimmy Rolder is one of the premier reserves who gets his name called early.

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WATCH: Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett talks about his return to the Wolverines

So happy he is back! #GoBlue

You have to go back a little way to remember Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett’s recruitment. That’s because the 6-foot linebacker was in the class of 2018. Barrett committed to Michigan as a three-star prospect and he wasn’t a linebacker, no he was actually a dual-threat quarterback when he wanted to come play for the maize and blue.

Barrett enters the 2023 season as a sixth-year player for the Wolverines who decided to use his extra year of eligibility — thanks to the 2020, COVID-19 year.

The Valdosta (Georgia) product had a solid season for the Wolverines last year. He played in all 14 games and started 13 of them at linebacker. Barrett was second on the team with 72 tackles. He also contributed with 3.5 sacks and two interceptions.

Barrett talks about why he returned to the Michigan program for a sixth season on the latest episode of ‘Those Who Stay’ on Michigan Football’s Twitter account. You will find out about his passion for dogs, the bond between him and Junior Colson — the fact they could be the best linebacker duo in the nation, and what the program means to him.

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Why Michael Barrett is excited about Chris Partridge’s return to Michigan football

Such a huge addition to the coaching staff! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For Michael Barrett, his Michigan football career will end working with a face that got it to begin as it was.

As a quarterback at Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes, Barrett’s primary recruiter to Ann Arbor was Chris Partridge, the Wolverines’ ace recruiter for a time, who handled the region. Barrett was thought to be coming to Michigan as an offensive weapon, but quickly transitioned to the defensive side of the ball, first as a defensive back, then as a linebacker.

Last year, he blossomed playing the linebacker role after having been a VIPER under Don Brown’s previous scheme, and with Partridge coming back to the staff to coach linebackers again, as he did in 2016-17, Barrett is finally playing directly under his primary recruiter — something that didn’t look feasible since Partridge left the program after the 2019 season to be the co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss.

So, when Barrett heard that his recruiter was coming back to town, he was very enthusiastic about the opportunity.

“Oh, I was excited. He was the guy, he recruited me here. He got me here,” Barrett said. “(On) special teams, (he) got me on the field for special teams. When I first got here. He was a great coach when he was here. I got really close to him with his time here. I was excited when I heard he was coming back.”

The maize and blue world has been abuzz since the news of Partridge’s prodigal return, but what does he bring to the table that has everyone all excited? What is his coaching style behind closed doors that aids the team?

Barrett says that just his attitude and his fresh set of eyes should aid the linebacking corps.

“Different outlook, just enthusiasm,” Barrett said. “And he just has a way to get everybody fired up and everybody ready to go.”

Fans will get an opportunity to see the linebackers in action on April 1 in the annual spring game at The Big House.

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Michael Barrett shares early returns on new Michigan LB Ernest Hausmann

He’s gonna be a beast! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As the idiom goes, the more the merrier. And while that may appear counterintuitive when your college football program is suddenly bringing in established, high-level talent to the position group you play in, that actually is the attitude that Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett has regarding Ernest Hausmann.

Hausmann is listed as the No. 2 transfer in the country by 247Sports this cycle, having come aboard from Nebraska. Though he’s entering a room with several established starters — Barrett, Junior Colson, Nikhai Hill-Green (who missed 2022 with injury) — as well as up-and-comers such as Jimmy Rolder, Barrett says there’s no one in the linebackers room who’s down on the idea of having more competition. It’s more the case of they’re welcoming Hausmann into the fold while also taking it as a challenge to improve their own game to stay on the field.

“I feel like it’s different here with guys because I don’t think we look at it negatively. I think we take everything that gets thrown at us with a positive attitude,” Barrett said. “That’s one thing that coach Herb instilled in us. You never know what was gonna happen. You never know the adversities you’re gonna face. But you’re defined by how you react to it.

“So I feel like just in a room, I’d say for the past couple of years, we just kind of look at it as competition, look at it as a way to better ourselves, better to team better to group. And so anytime, we’re happy for the guy’s success. We’re always teaching each other, coaching each other up. We’re never looking at it like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna take my spot. So let me get away from him.’ It’s never that; it’s always love. Everyone in that room always shows love to each other, support. And we’re always there for each other.”

With that in mind, how has Hausmann looked in the early going? Barrett says he’s seen a lot from him thus far in spring ball and is excited to see what he brings to the table once games arrive.

“Just his natural athletic ability. He’s smart, fast, can move,” Barrett said. “Just how fast he’s learning the defense, coming along with our guys, blending in, meshing together well with everyone. He’s gonna be a great player. I like his enthusiasm, the way he flies around at practice. He always has a smile on his face. He’s gonna bring something to this team.”

Fans will get their first chance to see Hausmann in action on April 1 in the annual spring game at The Big House.

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Michigan linebacker makes NFL draft decision

HUGE!!

Michael Barrett came to Michigan as a dual-threat quarterback from the class of 2018.

Fast forward five years and Barrett is a starting linebacker for Michigan. Barrett helped the Wolverines’ defense beat both rivals, win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff.

After Michigan beat Ohio State, 45-23, coach Jim Harbaugh told Mike Sainristil and Barrett he hoped both would return for an extra year.

Sainristil had already opted to come back to Ann Arbor for an extra year, and on Sunday night, Barrett announced he would be back for his sixth season.

The 2022 Michigan defense lost some key role players to the NFL draft: Mazi Smith, Mike Morris, DJ Turner and Gemon Green.

But the Wolverines should have enough returning talent from this past year’s team to have one of the nation’s top defenses in the Big Ten once again in 2023.

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What Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football players said upon arriving in Phoenix

Let’s go! #GoBlue

PHOENIX — Michigan football has arrived in Arizona and is set to embark on a week of practice and media availabilities with opponent TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

Upon arriving at Sky Harbor Airport, Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines were greeted by a gathering of fans on the tarmac and immediately moved into a tent where he, running back Donovan Edwards, safety Rod Moore and linebacker Michael Barrett took questions from the media.

At the end, Edwards beckoned a child-age fan to ask a question, which you can read at the end of the transcript.

Here is everything the group had to say with the College Football Playoff semifinal looming.