With a national championship and All-Big Ten honors to his name, Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder is heading to the NFL with an impressive resume.
Rolder was a key special-teamer and rotational defender during his first three seasons with the Wolverines, including the 2023 season, when they won the College Football Playoff. Working his way up the ranks, he cracked the starting lineup and put together a tremendous season in 2025, tallying 73 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, an interception, and two sacks in 12 games.
After finishing as a second-team All-Big Ten defender this past year, Rolder is looking to carry his momentum over to the NFL. PFSN spoke with him about winning a national championship, his preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, being one of three prospects to come from his high school this year, and much more.
JI: You get to say something that very few people do, and that’s that you’re a college football national champion. What was that season like for you guys in the program?
JR: Yeah, it was just surreal. [It was] everything that everyone on the team was working for, and to see it pay off, it was just a blessing and an honor to be a part of.
JI: 2025 was your breakout year; what went into preparing for this past season, and what did it mean for you to succeed as a starter after waiting your turn?
JR: After my junior year, I made some big changes in terms of taking care of my body and being really proactive about my health and body as a whole. [I was] doing anything and everything possible, anything extra, going to outside facilities for like cryotherapy and red-light therapy and IVs, all that stuff.
[I was] prioritizing my sleep, my nutrition, and really taking care of my body as well as I can so I could stay healthy and be on the field more. Obviously, once I was on the field, I was just more confident and able to make more plays. I made that change from my junior year to my senior year.
JI: Your quick mental trigger stands out on tape. Can you speak to some of the things you’re looking at pre-snap and what guides your judgment after the snap?
JR: I think it starts with your film prep and your film study, just basically trying to get an idea of what they might do before the ball is snapped, based on formation, personnel, alignment, and all that. It really narrows it down based on all those factors on what they can do.
It gives you an edge, maybe a quick step or whatnot, and being able to communicate with other guys on the field is very helpful. You got to get everyone on the same page, no missed assignments, to limit the big plays. Besides that, just being able to diagnose run, pass. If it’s a pass, knowing my responsibility, knowing my drop, and then if it’s run, being able to know what kind of run I get, and play physical.
JI: You got invited to the Shrine Bowl and the Combine. What were those experiences like for you?
JR: I never made it to the Shrine Bowl, but my Combine experience was hectic, but it was awesome. Just the experience alone, it was a blessing to be a part of, being able to talk to all these guys, all the coaches, and being a part of the process. But [they were] long days; they always got you busy, always doing something tough on you mentally, but it was an awesome experience.
JI: It’s not super often you see three guys from the same high school drafted in the same year. With you going to Marist in the Chicago area, what is it like going through this pre-draft process at the same time as Pat Coogan and Carnell Tate?
JR: It’s just awesome to see all the guys grown up, or not really grown up, but playing high school ball there many years ago with these guys, and just seeing what they’re doing now, it’s awesome. It’s a testament to the hard work that they’ve put in and continue to put in. In my time at Marist, I knew these guys were going to be successful on the field. It’s just awesome to see.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
JR: Free time, I think, since I got to college, I got into golfing a little bit. In the summers, it’s tough in Michigan because you don’t have the weather year-round, but golfing, it’s awesome. I really enjoy it. I’m not the best, but going out there and then hitting the ball, it’s a good time. I’m a big movie guy in my free time. I like to, at the end of the day, settle down, sit down on the couch, and throw on a movie.
JI: What’s the last really good movie you’ve watched?
JR: Oh, the last really good one I saw was this movie called “Primal Fear.” It’s actually a recommendation for my mom. It was really good.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL General Manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
JR: I think you would be getting a tough, physical leader who not only loves the game of football, but just loves the process. [You’d be getting] a hard worker. You’re going to get a locked-in guy: First guy in, last guy out, and just pushing everyone around him to be better, a great communicator, and a high effort guy on the field.
