Michigan football: a surprising name that keeps being talked about

The start of fall camp a few weeks ago was bound to bring on a few new breakout players for Michigan football. That said, not many people anticipated the drastic improvements of junior linebacker Jaydon Hood, whose name keeps being mentioned throughout camp — right now, everyone from Jim Harbaugh to Junior Colson and more is talking about how much better Hood has gotten over the past few months.

Michigan football as a surprising player on the rise this fall

He's had himself a camp so far and today he added to it with an INT during the scrimmage!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/DGbDkwgYdi

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 12, 2023

This year’s Michigan football linebacker room is elite — there aren’t two ways about it. Junior Colson headlines the room, meanwhile, other stars — such as veteran LB Mike Barrett and new transfer Ernest Hausmann — round out this fantastic group. On top of that, Jaydon Hood has emerged as a surprising breakout candidate this year and is being talked about quite a bit during fall camp.

Coaches and players alike are praising Jaydon Hood heading into the 2023 season

According to Jim Harbaugh, few players are asserting themselves the way Hood has thus far.

“The guy who I would say has asserted himself the most is Jaydon Hood,” Jim Harbaugh told the media this week, “as far as where he was last year to where he is now.  He is getting right there in the mix.”

Junior Colson adds to the hype

Junior Colson recently took to the podium, where he, too, added to the hype surrounding Hood’s presence on defense.

“He’s focused on the moment, on the now,” Junior Colson said on Wednesday at Schembechler Hall. “You can tell he stays here, especially during camp, he’s been one of the last ones to leave watching film trying to get better, and he’s asking more questions than he normally is. So I think that’s one thing he’s matured in. Maturity-wise, he’s allowed his game to take that next step to reach that next level. And I think he’s gonna keep going up and up.”

Mike Barrett chimes in as well

That’s not all, either. Before Jim Harbaugh and Junior Colson ever took to the podium this fall, veteran linebacker Mike Barrett was the first to mention how great Jaydon Hood has looked this fall.

“Jaydon Hood, I feel like he’s made a big step from last year,” Mike Barrett told us. “He’s coming along really fast learning and being able to help step into that next spot.”

Per the team’s roster page, Jaydon Hood is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior linebacker out of Florida — he is donning No. 34 this year, so keep an eye out when game time rolls around this fall.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!