Michigan LB Junior Colson helped lead the Wolverines to success throughout his college career. Colson had an incredible journey to the NFL Draft as he moved to America from Haiti. Now, he is a top prospect in the draft.
Here is everything to know about Colson before he enters the NFL.
How Tall Is Junior Colson?
Colson stands at 6’2 1/4″, putting him in the 69th percentile in direct comparison to his positional counterparts. His arm length measures 32.5″, which places him in the 57th percentile.
Colson sports a dense, compact, and well-leveraged frame with good proportional length. He’s one of the best athletes in the 2024 LB group with his explosiveness, short-area quickness, range, and change of direction.
How Much Does Colson Weigh?
Colson weighs in at 238 pounds, which puts him into the 47th percentile at his position and falls a bit short of the desired mark.
He has an excellent combination of size and strength to take on blocks and patrol the action from the second level. Colson’s upper-body strength and body control stand out when battling blocks or finishing tackles.
How Old Is Colson?
Colson was born on Dec. 6, 2002, and is 21 years old.
Colson was born in Haiti and, after his birth father passed away, he was left in an orphanage by his father’s will. When Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2012, Melanie Colson met him on a mission trip and decided to adopt him from the orphanage.
MORE: Top LBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Colson grew up speaking Haitian Creole and learned English only after moving to Tennessee. He grew up playing soccer and later took up football, playing linebacker at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn.
What School Did Colson Go To?
Considered a four-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite rankings, Colson was rated as a top-100 player in the nation, the No. 10 overall linebacker, and the second-best player in Tennessee in 2021. He committed to play college football at Michigan over offers from LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Tennessee.
Colson spent his entire college career at Michigan.
Revisiting Colson’s College Career
Colson started seven games as a true freshman for the Wolverines. He totaled 60 tackles (fourth-most on the team) and earned his first career sack on Nov. 13, 2021, in a 12-tackle performance versus Penn State. He was selected as a Freshman All-American.
As a sophomore in 2022, Colson started all 14 games, recording two sacks and a team-high 101 tackles. He was voted as a second-team All-Big Ten linebacker by the coaches and was the recipient of the team’s Roger Zatkoff Award. In the Big Ten Championship Game victory versus Purdue, Colson recorded a career-high 15 tackles.
As a junior in 2023, Colson started all 15 games and led the Wolverines to a national championship with a team-high 95 tackles. Colson was named a second-team All-Big Ten member by both the coaches and media. He also won the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Colson appeared in 43 games in his career with 36 starts at linebacker and declared for the NFL Draft following the 2023 season.
Colson’s Potential in the NFL
Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings said Colson can bring a jolt of life to an NFL defense right away.
“Colson has all of the desired physical qualities, and there are reasons to be bullish on his development,” Cummings wrote in his scouting report.
“He’s already an impressive coverage LB with great blind spot and leverage awareness, stem technique, route recognition, and closing ability — and he’s a voracious blitz threat who always has his foot on the gas.”
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Junior Colson
Some of Colson’s strengths, according to Cummings, include having the closing burst and speed to rocket through gaps and close ground in pursuit and having the effervescent short-area twitch to stay square and press the line versus gap runs.
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