2021 Season Countdown: #68 Jaydon Hood
Name: Jaydon Hood
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hood was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 72
Hood has had a bit of a strange path to Michigan. After transferring to Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas prior to his senior year, he struggled a little bit with the transition to a new defense. That led some analysts to downgrade him, and it also is a bit of a concern. If he struggles to transition to yet another new defensive scheme, might he get frustrated? Hood’s signing was also a little bit of a circus, because he was going to skip the early signing period in favor of signing in February . . . but then he signed on December 16 at the last minute, anyway.
Normally, I would project Hood to be a clear redshirt due to a lack of size and the above mentioned questions about how quickly he can adapt to a new scheme, but the mass exodus of linebackers in recent months might speed up his timeline. Aside from Josh Ross and Michael Barrett, Michigan’s linebackers are completely unproven. Linebackers are also often heavy contributors on special teams, and that’s a place where I think Hood could excel early in his career.
Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer
