Entering third year, Michigan football LB Jaydon Hood ‘has seen the light now’
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A four-star linebacker from the vaunted state of Florida coming to Michigan where there weren’t really any star linebackers at the time, you would think that Jaydon Hood would have seen the field early and often.
Yet, the recruit who boasted offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, and Texas A&M quickly became an afterthought. And he remained one throughout 2022, as well.
Now Hood is getting mentioned by his teammates and coaches alike, having made a big ascent from his first two years to his junior campaign. He figures to be a part of the rotation, which says something given the talent in the room with Junior Colson and Mike Barrett returning and standout Ernest Hausmann having transferred in from Nebraska.
His new position coach, Chris Partridge, says that Hood may have been languishing on the bench, but he appears to have new life.
“Sometimes when guys don’t play early, they kind of get in this abyss, right?” Partridge said. “Especially when guys that are in front of them are coming back. And Mike Barrett, like you said, he’s been here forever. So it’s like Jaydon gets here, and it’s like, ‘Oh, Mike’s in front of me. Oh, Mike’s in front of me, again. Oh, Mike’s in front of me again.’ So they kind of get in this little like, lost area.
“I think that’s where Jaydon was, you know? And maybe the change revived him? Jaydon works really hard, he wants to be good. He wants to contribute. He just wants to be valued on the team, whether it’s special teams, whatever it is, and he’s worked for it. And he’s done a really good job. And he’s improved.”
Partridge has fresh eyes, having come back to Ann Arbor after spending four years at Ole Miss. But what he’s seen from the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas product is a player who has connected the dots, figured things out, and has worked relentlessly to put himself in a position to get onto the field.
“Since the day I started working with him till now, he’s just improved and improved and improved,” Partridge said. “And he keeps working and keeps improving. So, really excited about him. And he’s still he knows he’s still got room to grow. But, I mean, he had a heck of a camp, he’s put together a heck of a camp. And I think he’s seen light now. I mean, this is the best way to say, to describe it.”
Fans will get an opportunity to see Hood in action on Saturday when Michigan football hosts East Carolina for the season opener. The game will kick off at noon EDT and will be streamed live on Peacock.
