Name: Nathaniel Staehling
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 241 lbs.
High school: Baxter (MN) Brainerd
Position: Linebacker
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #44
Last year: Staehling played for North Dakota State. He made 75 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery.
TTB Rating: N/A
Surprise! Michigan took an FCS transfer who didn't participate in spring practice, and now here he is at #20 in the countdown. How did that happen?
Nathaniel Staehling was an all-around athlete at Brainerd in the class of 2022, playing football, basketball, baseball, and track. He played quarterback, running back, safety, kicker, and punter in high school, but he was a 0-star recruit. When he got to college, he redshirted in 2022 and played sparingly in 2023 and 2024, making 16 tackles over those two seasons. He finally became a starter in his fourth year and put up solid numbers, entering the transfer portal after the year to potentially make a one-year splash at a big program.
The gamble may have paid off. Michigan really needed some linebackers after losing the top three guys (Ernest Hausmann to graduation, Jimmy Rolder to the NFL, and Cole Sullivan to Oklahoma) following last year. The Wolverines have an array of talented but totally unproven players at the college level. Staehling looks like he's battling Troy Bowles, Chase Taylor, and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng for playing time this year, and word trickling out seems to indicate Staehling should be a starter this fall. He's a veteran with starting experience under his belt, and he has the size we expect from a Big Ten inside linebacker at 6'3", 241 lbs. He may not play like an all-star, but Michigan's options if they want solid-sized, experienced linebackers really diminish if Staehling has to miss any time.
Prediction: Starting linebacker; 50 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception
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