Rivals100 LB Junior Colson Breaks Down Commitment To Michigan
Michigan has landed its highest rated defensive commit in the 2021 recruiting class.
Rivals100 linebacker Junior Colson from Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood set a May decision timeline and stuck to it. He publicly announced his commitment to Michigan on Memorial Day Weekend after being a silent pledge for more than a month.
“I believe Michigan was the best fit for me and family,” Colson said. “Being able to come in and play early, having great academics because football ends at some point in life and cultural fit made it the best option for me.”
Colson picked Michigan over finalists LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon and Tennessee.
Colson earned an offer from the Wolverines at a summer camp last year and returned to campus for an unofficial visit in November when Michigan played host to rival Ohio State. He was set for another unofficial visit this spring, but the coronavirus pandemic forced him to cancel his trip.
Still, Colson remained high on Michigan and built a strong relationship with the coaching staff through virtual recruiting. Both defensive coordinator Don Brown and linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary played huge roles in his decision to side with Michigan.
“Our relationship is great,” Colson said. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve talked to them in the last week. I talk to them every day. We just talk about normal things. We also had a film session this week, and that just reiterated my commitment to them. Our personalities are alike, which is a plus. We’ll all get along and know what each other is thinking.”
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh also video chatted with Colson throughout the dead period and made a big impression on the four-star prospect.
“I really like him,” Colson said. “He really cares about his players. He shows that it’s not all about football. Life doesn’t end after football. He’s shown that he’s helped players get acclimated to proper jobs if they don’t make it to the NFL. He helps his players succeed in life.”
Colson recorded an eye-popping 175 tackles and 14 sacks as a junior at Ravenwood last season.
In Brown’s attacking defensive scheme, Colson will be expected to play the ‘Viper’ position, which will allow him to showcase his multifaceted talent on the field. While he can certainly plug gaps, Colson also excels in pass coverage and has a high football IQ.
“Being able to play that Viper position will be beneficial to me,” Colson said. “I believe it will help, especially with my goal to get to the draft — being able to play multiple positions and move around. I’m used to a 4-3, but in this scheme, I’ll be playing safety, linebacker, defensive end and even corner a bit.”
At the end of the day, Michigan offered the best of everything for Colson and his family. Colson’s mother, Melanie, is originally from Michigan and actually grew up a fan of the Wolverines.
In recruiting, it always helps to have mom onboard, but the decision to side with Michigan happened organically for Colson and his family.
“My family was overjoyed,” Colson said. “They were happy that I was able to come to a decision on my own. I didn’t have any outside influences. They were beaming with smiles. They would have supported any decision I would have made. Michigan had everything I needed, and they felt it was the best fit for me, too. My mom went crazy. She was jumping around. It was amazing to see her smile.”
Colson plans to visit Michigan as soon as the dead period comes to an end.
At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Colson is ranked as the No. 3 outside linebacker and No. 83 overall prospect in the nation, per Rivals.com.
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