ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It didn’t take long in his college career for Junior Colson to receive some sage advice from the coaches he works with on a daily basis.
Mike Macdonald, Michigan’s first-year defensive coordinator, was just getting his bearings around him this spring — both with life as a college coach and his new players — when he urged the true-freshman linebacker to pay attention the team’s senior linebacker.
“Coach Mac was like, ‘Follow Josh Ross,’” Colson recently told reporters. “That’s what I did during spring ball and fall camp, I just tried to shadow him. All the little moves that he does, I’m like, ‘I’m going to steal that before you leave. I want to take that.’
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Brentwood, Tenn., native has played early and often in his first year — appearing in all six games as a backup inside linebacker during Michigan’s 6-0 start and rise up the college football rankings. He’ll spell Ross or redshirt freshman Nikhai Hill-Green, another underclassmen charged with increased playing time under the new coaching staff, and has 20 tackles, a pass breakup and fumble recovery.
And Colson credits Ross, the fifth-year senior who opted to return to Michigan for one more season, with helping him along the way.
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“He’s smart a dude, and I try and pick up on every little nugget he drops. You see me just following him everywhere. If he walks, I’m like, ‘OK, where you going next?’
“He’s an awesome guy. He’s taken that leadership role to the next level.”
A former four-star prospect, Colson was recruited to Michigan by the previous defensive coordinator, Don Brown, who intended to mold him into a “viper,” the hybrid linebacker/safety role popularized by Jabrill Peppers. But when Brown was dismissed during the offseason, it set off a series of changes that not only included the coaching staff but a notable scheme change, one that did away with the “viper” position and required Colson to learn a new style of play.
“They didn’t have to convince me,” Colson said. “I just wanted to help in any way that I can. Even if they put me at corner, I’d be like, ‘OK.’ It’d be different, but I’ll do it. Just as long as I’m able to contribute in any way.”
His increased IQ and a lack of depth at inside linebacker has allowed Colson to get on the field earlier than usual. The position can be tricky for a younger play; responsibilities are vast to begin with and require a player to guard against the run and the pass, all while reading opposing defense and communicating with the front and back ends. Not everyone can do it, especially effectively.
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Head coach Jim Harbaugh has said Colson was miles ahead, physically, when he enrolled at Michigan back in January. “He doesn’t look like a freshman,” Harbaugh recently quipped.
“That’s a guy that’s going to be elite — if not already right now,” Ross recently said. “Still got learning to do, still got growth to do, but he’s out there playing good football. Playing great football. Super-athlete. And he’s only going to get better with time.”
Colson has two games this season with five tackles each, including Michigan’s recent win over Nebraska, and came up with a key fumble recovery in the Sept. 25 win over Rutgers. Slowly, he’s getting his feet under him and playing with confidence at inside linebacker — a group already razor thin when it comes to experience. But so far, Colson says, he’s growing up fast — and he has Josh Ross to thank for it.
“He’s been here a long time. He’s done a lot of things; he’s seen a lot of things,” Colson said. “The good and the bad. And I’m just trying to pick up on those things.”
“I’m right here, man,” Colson continued with a smile. “You’re not getting rid of me.”
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