Michigan WR Jehu Chesson Embracing the Expectations

Michigan football wide receiver Jehu Chesson burst onto the scene last season for the Wolverines, emerging as one of the best targets in the Big Ten and a guy that can take the top off of a defense.

Chesson is entering his senior season with the program with the hype surrounding the team higher than it has ever been in his time in Ann Arbor.

With camp starting on Monday, he would have it no other way.

“I want to start fast and on Sept. 2 I want to finish strong, and once I take the field on Sept. 3 just showcase what I’ve been trying to build for the last seven months,” Chesson said at U-M football’s media day. “The expectations are so high.

“We love it. We embrace it. We’re excited. And me personally, I want to do the best for Michigan and win for Michigan. I want to bust my butt any way I can in whatever my role is so the team has a fighting chance to win.”

Chesson caught 50 passes for 764 yards and nine touchdowns last season after entering 2015 with only 29 career catches. He feels that his breakout was just a matter of time and it finally played out on the field.

“It was just the chips falling into place,” he said. “Everybody’s going to be exposed. Exposure has a negative connotation, but if you work hard you’ll be exposed. If you cheat, you’ll be exposed. If you do great things for people, you’ll be exposed.

“And so it’s just a matter of exposing what you’ve been doing in practice and it comes to the public light, good or bad. So I think putting in work day in and day out is a little icing on the cake.”

Michigan is no stranger to making headlines in the off-season, especially with Jim Harbaugh now firmly planted in Ann Arbor. It would be easy for any player to let the hype get to them, but Chesson is focused on the task at hand.

“I just want to play football and win games,” he said. “That’s all I’m here to do. I receive a great education and I’m fortunate to be in grad school right now and have one more go-round with my teammates.

“You focus on the main thing, which is getting out there, running routes, catching touchdowns from great quarterbacks and blocking your butt off for great running backs.”

Michigan players know what is expected of them moving forward and are ready to back up the buzz surrounding the program.

“Guys’ attitudes have really been embracing the expectation and winning for Michigan and doing your role because at the end of the day that’s all that matters,” Chesson said.

Chesson enters this season as a preseason All-American and early round draft pick by many NFL insiders.