Entering this third season with the Michigan football program, linebacker Junior Colson is prepared for a strong season as one of the Wolverines' top defensive standouts. As a sophomore in 2022, Colson anchored a stout Michigan defense, totaling 101 tackles, two sacks and a pass deflection.
The rising junior met with the media on Wednesday ahead of the 2023 season.
On if there are any previous Michigan linebackers he tries to emulate his game after
Not particularly. I think my game is a mix of a lot of different people, a lot of different guys I've watched, and just, I don't know, I kind of want to be myself. I want to be myself, like, my own player. But we do have some greats that have gone here, like, coach made me watch some of them, but like, I'm proud of them, but I want to be my own story.
On focusing on the present
I think it's been a very big change; very drastic, especially throughout training camp. I think all of our guys are just focusing on the now, focusing on what we have to hit on now. We can't look to the future, because we can't change it. We can't look to the past, because we can't change that. Right now, the only thing we can change is the moment. We're trying to enjoy this and just, like, take it all in, get as good as we can at football and see where it goes.
On how his offseason body transformation will help him in 2023
I think it's been coming really good. Like, the way I move, the way I handle a lot of things... that's one of my biggest things is I want to be more powerful at the point of contact, more powerful in a lot of things, like when I stride. So, that's like, one of my biggest things now is focusing on power, and I know my speed was going to be good once everything healed up.
On what areas he feels he improved on during the offseason
I watched a lot of tape, this offseason, on myself, and just, I feel like, everything. I think you can alway improve in everything. I want to be a complete football player. So that was one of my biggest focuses, especially with the new coach in coach [Chris Partridge] that was like our main focus was like 'how can we round my game out to be perfect?' and you're not going to reach perfection, but just as close as you can, get to that. So that was like a huge thing for me going into the year.
On how the increased depth in the linebacker room will help Michigan stay healthy
Huge. Huge. I think we've got a lot of really great linebackers in this room. We've got a lot of great ones I can take reps off each other and run on each other and it's like being able to get us through every single game we have to play this year. So I think that's going to be really good for us as a team, but also as a corps with the way we mesh and the way we play together.
On his added power, and how it's helped him on the field
Adding power was just being able to be stronger at the point of contact, being stronger in a lot of things so there was a lot of different drills that me and coach were working on... just being able to take on guys at different positions, take on, you know, when I'm tackling somebody, when I'm making tackles and everything. So it's mostly training my body and all that.
On fellow linebacker Jaydon Hood's emergence in camp
He's ultra-focused on the moment. You can tell, like, he stays here, especially on in camp. He's been one of the last ones to leave, watching film, trying to get better and trying to get as good as he can at football and he's asking a lot 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 it's huge. He's going up and up.
On what role he was told he would play when he was recruited, versus how it has actually turned out
They didn't really specify a position when I was coming in. It was mostly like, 'we're just going to play you'... I never really came in with expectations like 'oh, I'll be an outside linebacker, I'll be inside' I just, I'm taking it in strides and I'm enjoying the moment. I'm enjoying the time. It was just meant to be. I love it. I love the system, I love the coaching. I think I use my strengths to my advantage.
On what work he put in during the offseason to get healthy
Offseason was just mostly focusing on rehab. Trying to get as good as I can, just like, being better than I was last season. Feeling-wise, body-wise, so that was my main focus. Coach didn't try to push me to come back anytime soon, it was just mostly 'get your body to a shape where you could play a game right now,' and I think that happened around summertime, and I feel like they didn't rush me. They allowed me to get my body right. I'm in a great place right now.
On what he's seen from Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards
They're two of the best backs in the country. There's no ifs or buts about it. They are two of the best. They are the two best backs in the country. I think they're going to be a great one-two punch... they're catching their stride right now.
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