2012 Season Countdown: #47 Jehu Chesson

Tag: Jehu Chesson


14Jul 2012
Uncategorized 14 comments

2012 Season Countdown: #47 Jehu Chesson

Jehu Chesson

Name: Jehu Chesson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Chesson was in high school.  He had 53 catches for 757 yards (14.6 yards per catch) and 6 touchdowns.

Final TTB Rating:
87

Chesson followed up a good senior football season with an excellent spring running track, where he won a Missouri state championship in the hurdles.  He has good speed and good size, although he may be a little slight for the receiver position at this point.  A spring of running track kept his weight down, while future roommate Amara Darboh was able to bulk up to 205-210 lbs. or so.

There will be opportunities for freshman receivers to play this season.  Michigan doesn’t have any truly dynamic players at the receiver positions, instead having a stable full of complementary wideouts.  Chesson is taller than all but Jeremy Jackson, faster than most, and considering his track background, probably as capable as anyone of getting jump balls.  He might get bodied out of the way and he might need to work on shoring up his route running, but somebody needs to provide the team with a deep threat to stretch the field.  Chesson may not be the most mentally ready, but you can see the physical talent.  It just depends on how quickly he progresses.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

21Feb 2012
Uncategorized 5 comments

Jehu Chesson Answers Your Questions

Jehu Chesson
(image via stlhighschoolsports.com)
If you’ve seen the results of the latest TTB poll, glanced at the roster, or read Jehu’s “Ask a Question” post, then you know that Michigan has a need at wide receiver. Enter Mr. Jehu Chesson. Although Chesson is a 3-star player to the four major recruiting sites, there remain dissenting evaluations forecasting a higher ceiling, including his TTB commitment post and updated TTB rating. Chesson is currently working hard to reach his potential by training at Velocity Sports performance with former Detroit Lion Brett Fischer while running track in the latter part of his senior year. He also takes time to communicate with the media, study Michigan football history, and answer questions from Michigan fans.
Reasons for choosing Michigan: “It came down to Northwestern and Michigan. They’re both very good academic institutions, and I felt that both of their football programs were on the rise. But Michigan’s the school where I felt I could do more at because of their status. If Northwestern had the alumni base behind it, then I feel they could be just like Michigan, but that’s what they lack. . . . The thing that really separated Michigan were the kids in the recruiting class. I felt way closer with them than I did with any other group. I mean, I just related with them almost immediately.”
A workin’ man: “I work for my community center. Yesterday what I was doing was being a referee for basketball, and then on Friday night I was a DJ for a father-daughter dance . . . and then over the summer and spring break – a lot of kids go out of town for spring break – but I usually volunteer to be a camp counselor and hang out with the kids, which is pretty fun.
Parallels with Amara Darboh: “Well, right off the bat, we were both born in Western Africa, so we both thought that was really neat because we really haven’t seen anyone like our age since the war . . . .and we both have similar personalities; we both like to have fun, be a little goofy sometimes.”

Physical Development: “From a physical standpoint, I understand that I do need to get bigger, so I’m working on that. . . . I’m 185 lbs., and right now I’m running track, and I probably won’t virtually put on any weight, but if I do it’ll be only two to three solid pounds because of track. But when track is over, I really have about three weeks, and then I leave for Michigan, so hopefully I’ll be about 188 lbs. and then when I get down there, they’ll probably get me up to 195 lbs. or something before the first game. I don’t know; we’ll see. I talked to Coach Hoke and he said [the ideal playing weight will be] 210/215 lbs. I’ve heard from other coaches from other schools anywhere from 210 – 225 lbs.”
Hitting another gear senior year:Well, it really is all mental. . . . My junior year, they [the coaches] never really put me on special teams because they didn’t want me to get hurt. But then they put me on special teams my senior year, actually in the last couple of games, and every time I got the ball I would score, except for once. Those [plays] aren’t even on my highlight tape because I couldn’t figure out how to put them on. But it was just what the team demanded of me mentally and physically because every single game I played both ways. I played safety on defense; I was sometimes the kicker, and then on kickoffs I was the return man. I just played what the team needed me to play, and that leadership role just kind of took over.”
The #1 jersey: “Yeah, I know a lot about the #1 jersey. . . . The last to wear it was Braylon Edwards. He wore #80 before he wore the #1 jersey. But it might draw attention that might not be necessary also. It’s very positive and negative at the same time. A positive is that you deserve to wear it. . . . A negative is that if you do something wrong, it’s magnified. It’s like a blessing and a curse. . . “

Goals/ambitions at Michigan: “I want to maximize my potential and be the best player I can be. A lot of people ask me about the NFL, but that’s in the background; it’s not in the foreground. Because right now I’m just trying to get to each step to try to get to that point. . . . I’m just looking forward to being a part of Michigan’s future.”
7Feb 2012
Uncategorized 4 comments

Ask a Question: Jehu Chesson

Jehu Chesson joins the Michigan football team at a position in need of another playmaker. Chesson is a three-star wide receiver to the primary recruiting sites, yet many scouts and coaches believe that Jehu is a much better player than those three stars indicate. Take his TTB commitment post and updated rating as examples. I’ll be talking with Jehu this Saturday, so if you have a question for him, leave it the “comments” section below, and I’ll address it in the interview.
26Jan 2012
Uncategorized 2 comments

TTB Ratings: Reason Behind the Ratings

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia made a significant
jump in the new TTB ratings

Yesterday I posted the new TTB Ratings for Michigan’s class of 2012 (which I reserve the right to change until after Michigan’s recruiting class is completed), and obviously, there were some significant changes for a few players.  A couple kids have moved up or down a few points, but today I’ll try to explain the reasons behind the biggest movers.

Ondre Pipkins – NT – Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Pipkins moved up from an 82 to a 90.  I was impressed with Pipkins’ performance in the Army All-American Bowl.  He looked to me to be a little bit out of shape, but I guess 330-pound defensive tackles rarely look like they’re in shape.  However, when he had the gas to go 100%, he was a terror.  He also showed good athleticism in chasing down quarterback Chad Voytik and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, causing a fumble against the latter.  Pipkins dominated the high school competition in Kansas City, but doing it against elite competition suggests that he’ll be able to have success in the Big Ten, too.

Joe Bolden – MIKE – Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Bolden moved up from a 77 to an 88.  I was slightly disappointed that Bolden couldn’t bring down a few more ballcarriers in the Under Armour All-American Game, but he was the week’s best tackler in practice and he was very good at diagnosing plays.  I’ve always liked his decisiveness and intelligence, but he showed throughout the season and the all-star game that he has the speed and athleticism to be a very good Big Ten linebacker.  He needs to add weight and he would benefit from a redshirt year so he can improve his upper body strength.

Jehu Chesson – WR – St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Chesson moved up from a 77 to an 87.  As I consider the future of Michigan’s offense under Brady Hoke and Al Borges, I realize the value of a jump-ball guy like Chesson.  He’s excellent at high-pointing the ball and catching it with his hands, and that bodes well for his future for Michigan.  He looks like an Adrian Arrington clone, and without another downfield threat on the squad, he could be that guy who can stretch the field as soon as next season.

Mario Ojemudia – WDE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Ojemudia moved up from a 67 to a 78.  Ojemudia played defensive end/outside linebacker in the Marine game, and his performance wasn’t very impressive . . . but since he mostly played defensive tackle in high school, I’m going to give him a little bit of a pass.  One of his strengths is getting off the ball quickly, and without the ball right under his nose, his reaction time was affected negatively.  However, his senior highlight film shows a guy who can use his hands to get off blocks, and he reminds me of the freshman version of Frank Clark.  Those two are very similar players, and Ojemudia looks like he’ll be able to fill that weakside end position nicely.

Blake Bars – C – Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Bars dropped from a 71 to a 62.  I wasn’t extremely high on Bars to begin with, because he seems a little slow-footed and doesn’t seem like a great athlete.  He looks like more of a backup and maybe a late-career starter as a tackle, but now that Caleb Stacey has decommitted in favor of Cincinnati, that might require the 6’5″ Bars to play center.  Since he lacks experience at the position and because of his lack of quickness, I think he might struggle inside.

Jeremy Clark – FS – Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Clark moved up from a 49 to a 59.  When I first heard about Clark and saw film on him, I thought he might be a big fish in a small pond.  But the more film I saw of him, the more I think he can make an impact at the next level.  He’s a lanky kid who gets by on athleticism, so I think college is going to be a bit of a wake-up call for him.  He probably won’t be the type who comes in and lights the world on fire.  He’ll have to improve his pursuit angles and he’ll have to become a more fundamental tackler, but his height (6’4″) and flat-out speed should provide a nice athlete on the back end to work with for four or five years down the road.

Kaleb Ringer – WILL – Clayton (OH) Northmont
Ringer dropped from a 64 to a 39.  As you might be able to tell from his original rating of 64, I wasn’t too high on Ringer from the start.  However, the more that I have seen and heard of Ringer, the more I’m concerned about him remaining with the program.  I do think he has the physical talent to be a backup, but let’s face it – guys from every recruiting class get lost in the shuffle, become career backups, transfer, etc.  My gut feeling on Ringer is that he’ll be one of those guys, especially with all the other talent at linebacker in the 2012 class.

26Dec 2011
Uncategorized 2 comments

Recruiting Update: December 26, 2011

Su’a Cravens

COMMITMENT
St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins wide receiver Jehu Chesson committed to Michigan last week.  The 6’3″, 185 lb. wideout is the 24th member of Michigan’s class, leaving four more spots open.  Here’s a link to his commitment post.

ADDED TO THE BOARD
Murrietta (CA) Vista Murrietta safety Su’a Cravens, a 2013 prospect, has been offered by Michigan.  Cravens is a 6’1″, 205 lb. strong safety with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, USC, Washington, and others.  As a junior this past season, he had 96 tackles, 11 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep defensive end Al-Quadine Muhammad, a 2013 prospect, has also been offered by the Wolverines.  He’s 6’4″, 230 lbs. and has offers from Boston College, Colorado, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, South Carolina, and others.  Muhammad is the teammate of several Michigan targets from the 2012 class, including defensive back Yuri Wright.

OFF THE BOARD
Lee’s Summit (MO) Lee’s Summet West offensive guard Evan Boehm re-committed to Missouri last week.  The 6’3″, 290-pounder, who is considered one of the best interior linemen in the country, de-committed from Missouri several weeks ago and flirted with going elsewhere, but he’s sticking close to home.

Texas linebacker Derek David has been re-classified as a 2014 recruit due to some legal issues stemming from an alleged sexual assault.  He had been offered by Michigan early in the process, but never visited and had only limited contact with the Wolverines.  David was committed to Texas Tech prior to his legal troubles.

Eden Prairie (MN) Eden Prairie offensive tackle Nick Davidson committed to Stanford.  The 6’6″, 275 lb. lineman is the son of Jeff Davidson, an NFL offensive line coach and offensive coordinator who has floated around the league for several years.

Monroe (NC) Sun Valley wide receiver Jody Fuller committed to South Carolina back in July.  I happened to be on a two-week vacation at the end of July, which is probably why I never updated his status.  Plus I never really cared about Fuller because he didn’t show any interest in Michigan’s offer.

Inglewood (CA) Inglewood wide receiver Derrick Woods committed to Oklahoma back in November.  I must have missed this news due to Thanksgiving and the excitement surrounding the Ohio State game, but the 6’1″, 180 lb. speedster is off the board.