Name: Jaydon Hood
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #34
Last year: I ranked Hood #73 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He made 13 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: 72
As a member of the class of 2021, Hood was recruited by a former linebackers coach named Brian Jean-Mary, who left for Tennessee before coaching Hood. Hood played in just five total games over his first couple seasons and generally seemed to be buried on the depth chart under the guys who succeeded Jean-Mary: George Helow, Chris Partridge, and Rick Minter. Hood did play in six games at linebacker in 2023 (plus another six on special teams), but it was only during blowouts. With Junior Colson and Michael Barrett (both now in the NFL) and Ernest Hausmann ahead of him, there wasn't going to be much playing time left for any linebacker.
Fast forward to 2024, and Michigan's new linebackers coach is a guy named . . . Brian Jean-Mary. Yes, the guy who recruited Hood left for three seasons and has now returned. And it's probably not a coincidence that Hood is getting mentioned more as a possible contributor for this upcoming season. Colson and Barrett are gone, but Hausmann and Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham are penciled in as the starters. After that it's a race for the #3 spot, most likely between Hood and Jimmy Rolder. I have Rolder slightly ahead because he was ahead of Hood as a freshman in 2022 (Rolder played sparingly in 2023 to preserve his redshirt behind such a talented group), but there's at least more opportunity since the 1-2-3 guys were so obviously cemented in place last year. Hood should continue to play on special teams, but he should play more than the 85 snaps we saw him play last year.
Prediction: Backup linebacker
Ranking is a bit high to me give that LB4 is a spot that does not play very much. Rolder was LB4 last year and him red-shirting last year speaks to that limited importance. Hood is a good veteran to have around in case of injury and consistently gets praise but Rolder passed him immediately and Hausman and Barham have been imported for a reason.
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