Jehu Chesson
Name: Jehu Chesson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 207 lbs.
High school: St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #86
Last year: I ranked Chesson #39 and said he would be a backup receiver with 18 catches, 220 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He started four games and had 14 catches for 154 yards.
I have found Chesson to be intriguing since he started demolishing people in 2013, whether it was as a gunner on punts or as a blocker in the running game. Unfortunately, that prowess has not carried over to the receiving department, where has been just so-so. With a largely ineffective passing game last year, Chesson was the fourth-leading receiver. He started four games, but he never seemed to develop a chemistry with Devin Gardner and struggled in the catching department. His best performance from last season was 2 catches for 34 yards against Rutgers, and he has just one touchdown in his career (a 58-yarder against Michigan State in 2013).
Chesson was one of Michigan’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days, so he is looked at as a leader and responsible member of the team. He has packed on 12 lbs. since last season, and he can be counted on as a blocker and hard worker. But I have doubts about whether he can be a standout receiver because he hasn’t really even shown glimpses of that during the past two years on the field. Jim Harbaugh is going to run the ball a lot, especially with question marks at quarterback, but someone needs to step up soon at receiver. The smart [Monopoly] money is on classmate Amara Darboh, but Chesson will probably start on the other side and be given plenty of opportunities. There are some young guys with more natural receiving talent, but that won’t necessarily translate to on-field team success.
Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 25 catches, 320 yards, 2 touchdowns
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Perhaps Grant Perry. . hhhmmm. . .
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If I had to predict, I’d say Canteen is more likely to overtake Chesson in pass-catching productivity. Things look pretty wide open, but it’s not too common for a true freshman WR to make much of an impact.
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Agreed on Canteen and if forced to pick a freshman WR, I’d have to go with Cole.
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I’d love for Chesson to earn a place in the top 20. He seems like a high character kid, he’s big, he’s fast, he’s a willing blocker, and we have a need for a playmaker. But we are talking about a kid entering his 4th year on campus and it seems increasingly unlikely he’s an impact football player.
Would Michigan really take a significant step back if Cole, Canteen, or Ways stepped in for Chesson? IMO it’d be a relatively small hit.
Furthermore, you have to take into consideration the rumors that Michigan will use a lot of 2-TE sets, thus reducing the importance and influence of receivers.
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Yes, Chesson seems a little late to the party, but the last two years he’s been out there with a not overly effective or confident QB who tended to focus too much on one target (Funchess). Our passing game may look quite different this year, and I think that anyone who shows they can get open and catch the ball will get a lot of touches. I definitely look for things to be spread around more.
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