Michigan's picked up their second portal addition of the cycle in former Nebraska linebacker Ernest Hausmann. Hausmann started seven games as a true freshman for the Huskers last year, picking up 54 tackles. You may remember one of them, a thunderous stick on Donovan Edwards. That's the second clip here:

#NEBvsMI Ernest Hausmann
Ajay Allen was 1 and Hausmann was 2 as my top two HS players from the 2022 recruiting class. Hartzog is challenging that.

Here are two great plays. 1 in coverage and 1 vs. the run. Freshman! He has speed Henrich and Reimer lack. We have a player here! pic.twitter.com/ta081hlOQE

— What does the film say? (@Huskers_film) November 13, 2022

Hausmann visited Iowa a week ago (hung out with McNamara and All, in fact) and was a priority for them, and if Iowa is into a linebacker he's probably a good prospect.

[After THE JUMP: some grades, a quote, etc.]

PFF gave him a 70 grade for the Michigan game, which is above average in their grading scale; just one game but if a freshman LB is keeping his head above water against a Jim Harbaugh rush offense—in particular this Jim Harbaugh rush offense—behind those DTs, giddyup. His overall grade is distorted by an understandably rough start:

Take or leave the Pro Football Focus grades, but Hausmann trended up when he got called into action against Purdue, with a 80.67 tackling grade and a 62.1 coverage grade on 57 snaps. PFF was not as keen on his work against Illinois, giving him an overall defensive grade of 46.4 and a 33.2 tackling grade over the course of 26 snaps.

Then Nebraska interim coach Mickey Joseph:

“I think Barrett (Ruud) has done a very good job with (Ernest) Hausmann because he is playing at a high level, and he is getting better every week so I like where he is at right now,” former interim head coach Mickey Joseph said of Hausmann in November. “He was a puppy coming in. He is a high school kid, so he learned how to play this game at a high level, and he is playing at a high level right now and we are really excited about his future.”

Hausmann has three years of eligibility left and joins a linebacker room that suddenly has decent depth. Junior Colson and Michael Barrett will likely return; Nikhai Hill-Green was promising as a freshman before injury derailed his 2022; Jimmy Rolder will probably be relatively ready to go next year. Hausmann gives them a reasonable two-deep at ILB.

Hausmann may also be evidence of a shift in Michigan's ability to get transfers in. Historically that's been difficult for undergraduates.