More Good News For Michigan Football As Mike Barrett Returns

On Jan 16, 2023

Just a few hours after offensive guard Zak Zinter announced that he’ll be back in Ann Arbor next year, rising sixth-year senior linebacker Mike Barrett has done the same.

With Barrett now back in the fold, Michigan’s linebacker corps is as good as any in the Big Ten and could challenge as one of the better groups in the country. Barrett, along with Junior Colson, potentially Nikhai Hill-Green if he returns to health, youngster Jimmy Rolder and transfer youngster Ernest Hausmann make up a very, very athletic, diverse and productive group of backers.

Barrett has been a jack of all trades throughout his entire football career at all levels. In high school he was a dual-threat quarterback. While at Michigan, he’s been an “offensive weapon” playing some combination of running back, H-back and wide receiver, a return man, a Viper, and, of course, a more traditional linebacker, which is what he plays now.

Barrett is a bit of a “tweener” with less than ideal speed and fluidity for a true safety and less than ideal size for a true linebacker at 6-0, 233 pounds. However, in today’s world of football, he’s a phenomenal defensive tool. He’s big and physical enough to check tight ends and corral running backs and is also athletic enough to play in space against those same offensive players. I’m not exactly sure what his NFL future might be, which might be why he’s coming back to Michigan for his sixth season. However he came to this decision, it was clear after the Ohio State game that head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted Barrett back. He said as much while at the post game podium and now it’s come to fruition.