1. William Johnson
We obviously had a ton of content out following the commitment of five-star 2022 Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback Will Johnson, but here are some more thoughts . I first noticed Johnson around two years ago at the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Atlanta. I was covering Texas at the time but had a break in the action in regards to the targets I was there to see and decided to watch Max Ex. Johnson immediately popped out for me. I could tell he was a young kid, but he was locking people up. After that game, I asked him what his name was and fired off the tweet below (lol at William). I even went back and told my folks in Austin to offer Johnson immediately — they balked because Will was a Midwest kid. Anyway, Will showed elite traits at such an early age. I'm not surprised he grew into a five-star prospect and still believe he should be in that category despite a recent drop elsewhere.
2. Five-Star
Like I said, I fully believe Will is a five-star. He's only gotten taller and bigger since I first saw him two years ago, and he just checks all the boxes for me. Will has the height and length valued in boundary corners, and he's physically impressive. When Will gets his hands on you, well, good night. The dude is at his best in press man, but he can play in various zone concepts and move around the secondary if needed. Will is an instinctual player and has a high football IQ. He's also super patient. While he likes to jam, he never really overextends. Will precisely picks and chooses how to attack his opponent and pretty much shuts down his side of the field. Will may not have the verified times that some are looking for, but he's an underrated athlete that also makes plays on offense and on the basketball court for his high school team.
3. The Leader
Will reminds me a lot of Donovan Edwards from last cycle from a personality standpoint. While Don is a little louder and can be boisterous at times, they are both private individuals that command the respect of those around him. I truly believe Don would have been a massive class leader for Michigan had he committed early. This cycle, however, Michigan has Will already onboard, and he's sure to lead the way, especially in-state. I usually joke around with guys off the record when I go see them in person. We usually talk about other players, and kids tell me if they think 'so and so is overrated' or 'so and so is all drama' etc. Nobody has ever said a bad word about Donovan or Will. Both of these guys have nothing but love and respect from their peers. Michigan struck gold with both of them.
4. The Leader Pt. 2
Will knows he's the face of the class. He didn't really care for the recruiting process and wanted to take a leadership role. While he is quiet and usually looks disinterested in every photo I take of him, Will is a super cool kid once you get to know him. Like I said, he has the respect from those around him, and he'll be able to help lure more top talent to Ann Arbor. I think that starts this Wednesday with four-star athlete Tay'Shawn Trent, who, like Will, is part of the Sound Mind Sound Body program. Will should also help with Dillon Tatum and more national recruits like Walter Nolen and Jaeden Gould. Side note: Will was already talking to Nolen weeks before his publicly announced for the Wolverines. With a staff full of young, aggressive recruiters and Will leading the group, the 2022 class can be elite.
5. How Did It Happen?
Let's just fast forward through Will's recruiting process and press play at the big visit weekend in the fall. I always said Michigan just needed to give Will a reason to commit. And they did. Will bonded with the 2021 commits and just felt at home in Ann Arbor. Will actually thought about committing that day, and even his father, Deon, told me on the record that they felt ready to pull the trigger. I went ahead and put in a FutureCast pick. Of course, Michigan got sandblasted that weekend, and Will pumped the brakes. After checking out Michigan, Will wanted to give Ohio State and USC a fair shake. Of course, Michigan made some staff changes, and that opened the door even more. Fortunately for Michigan, they got everything figured out, and Will didn't feel like Ohio State was a great fit. In fact, OSU has been out of it for a while now.
5. How Did It Happen Pt. 2?
By the time Will made his visit out to USC, good friend and fellow five-star cornerback Domani Jackson has already committed to the Trojans behind the scenes. In fact, Domani spent the weekend trying to recruit Will to join him in Los Angeles. When Will got back to Detroit, he told me that he really did like the idea of playing with Jackson and had developed a great relationship with Trojans ace recruiter Donte Williams. However, Will had hesitation about going so far away from home. That same day, Will had his first exchange with new Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. A few days later, Michigan brought in Mo Linguist. The two clicked instantly, and Linguist was able to help the Wolverines close the deal. Like I've told y'all before, Linguist knows how to shut the door with elite defensive backs.
6. How Did It Happen Pt. 3?
On Feb. 5, Will texted me 'we got a big one cooking up.' It was a super random message. I texted him back and said 'so you?' in regard to him being the dinner dish being cooked up for Michigan. He told me he was actually talking about Walter Nolen. Like I mentioned above, Will was already working on Nolen and will continue to do so moving forward. Nolen recently named Michigan a top school, and the Wolverines are very much in play. Will then told me he (Will) was going to announce his decision on March 29. Will was obviously leaning Michigan, but he told me USC was doing everything possible to sway him, so he wanted a little more time. Will, of course, moved up his date soon after our exchange. At that point, his mind was made up. He was going blue.
7. Domani Jackson
So can Will flip Domani from USC? Look, Michigan is definitely going to shoot its shot. I do think it will be an extremely tough task. Like I said before, Domani was already recruiting Will to USC before he committed. However, the two do have a close friendship, and I get the feeling that Domani is definitely more open to the idea of flipping than Will. The latter isn't going anywhere. He's locked in with the Wolverines and is a leader. Domani seems like he could make some late cycle visits. Remember, Domani still has a ton of family in the Midwest, and his father, Randy, is a big Michigan fan. Randy has a great relationship with Deon and also congratulated Will on Twitter.
8. Maurice Linguist
Michigan brought on Maurice Linguist as its co-defensive coordinator just a little more than a month ago. Since then, Linguist has closed with Will and offered and landed a pair of four-star defensive backs in Kody Jones and Taylor Groves. Linguist is the real deal in case you haven't figured that out already. The guy is an elite level recruiter and has to be Top 5 nationally in the recruiter rankings — I don't think Rivals keeps track of them until the end of the cycle. Will told me throughout the last couple of weeks that he really formed a strong relationship with Linguist and talked to him basically everyday. Linguist did an excellent job of pitching Will on his track record as a developer and well as how he would fit in with classmates Jones and Groves. And Linguist is far from done. Michigan could take half a dozen or more in the secondary.
9. Ron Bellamy
Something I found interesting is that Will already had a preexisting relationship with new Michigan safeties coach Ron Bellamy. When Bellamy was at West Bloomfield, Johnson would actually reach out to him and pick his brain about different schemes as well as the recruiting process. Bellamy was the perfect hire for Michigan. The kids around the Detroit-metro love him as do the key figureheads in the city. Bellamy did a fantastic job with Deon as well as with Will's godfather, Curtis Blackwell, who along with Deon, founded Sound Mind Sound Body. Bellamy is definitely mending some fences and already making a huge impact with in-state recruiting.
10. Panama City Beach
I'm actually typing up all this content from Panama City Beach. I'm in town for the Pylon 7v7 tournament and will have some notes from it in coming days. There were some no shows, which was disappointing, but I did get to see a pair of targets from Alabama in Rivals250 athlete Shemar James and three-star running back Quinshon Judkins. James looked like a fluid prospect while playing linebacker and recently named the Wolverines in his Top 8. Both defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and Aashon Larkins have been in contact. Judkins has not spoken to new running backs coach Mike Hart just yet, but he did have a great relationship with Jay Harbaugh and remains interested in the Wolverines. Again, I'll have more on both soon.
We obviously had a ton of content out following the commitment of five-star 2022 Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback Will Johnson, but here are some more thoughts . I first noticed Johnson around two years ago at the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Atlanta. I was covering Texas at the time but had a break in the action in regards to the targets I was there to see and decided to watch Max Ex. Johnson immediately popped out for me. I could tell he was a young kid, but he was locking people up. After that game, I asked him what his name was and fired off the tweet below (lol at William). I even went back and told my folks in Austin to offer Johnson immediately — they balked because Will was a Midwest kid. Anyway, Will showed elite traits at such an early age. I'm not surprised he grew into a five-star prospect and still believe he should be in that category despite a recent drop elsewhere.
2. Five-Star
Like I said, I fully believe Will is a five-star. He's only gotten taller and bigger since I first saw him two years ago, and he just checks all the boxes for me. Will has the height and length valued in boundary corners, and he's physically impressive. When Will gets his hands on you, well, good night. The dude is at his best in press man, but he can play in various zone concepts and move around the secondary if needed. Will is an instinctual player and has a high football IQ. He's also super patient. While he likes to jam, he never really overextends. Will precisely picks and chooses how to attack his opponent and pretty much shuts down his side of the field. Will may not have the verified times that some are looking for, but he's an underrated athlete that also makes plays on offense and on the basketball court for his high school team.
3. The Leader
Will reminds me a lot of Donovan Edwards from last cycle from a personality standpoint. While Don is a little louder and can be boisterous at times, they are both private individuals that command the respect of those around him. I truly believe Don would have been a massive class leader for Michigan had he committed early. This cycle, however, Michigan has Will already onboard, and he's sure to lead the way, especially in-state. I usually joke around with guys off the record when I go see them in person. We usually talk about other players, and kids tell me if they think 'so and so is overrated' or 'so and so is all drama' etc. Nobody has ever said a bad word about Donovan or Will. Both of these guys have nothing but love and respect from their peers. Michigan struck gold with both of them.
4. The Leader Pt. 2
Will knows he's the face of the class. He didn't really care for the recruiting process and wanted to take a leadership role. While he is quiet and usually looks disinterested in every photo I take of him, Will is a super cool kid once you get to know him. Like I said, he has the respect from those around him, and he'll be able to help lure more top talent to Ann Arbor. I think that starts this Wednesday with four-star athlete Tay'Shawn Trent, who, like Will, is part of the Sound Mind Sound Body program. Will should also help with Dillon Tatum and more national recruits like Walter Nolen and Jaeden Gould. Side note: Will was already talking to Nolen weeks before his publicly announced for the Wolverines. With a staff full of young, aggressive recruiters and Will leading the group, the 2022 class can be elite.
5. How Did It Happen?
Let's just fast forward through Will's recruiting process and press play at the big visit weekend in the fall. I always said Michigan just needed to give Will a reason to commit. And they did. Will bonded with the 2021 commits and just felt at home in Ann Arbor. Will actually thought about committing that day, and even his father, Deon, told me on the record that they felt ready to pull the trigger. I went ahead and put in a FutureCast pick. Of course, Michigan got sandblasted that weekend, and Will pumped the brakes. After checking out Michigan, Will wanted to give Ohio State and USC a fair shake. Of course, Michigan made some staff changes, and that opened the door even more. Fortunately for Michigan, they got everything figured out, and Will didn't feel like Ohio State was a great fit. In fact, OSU has been out of it for a while now.
5. How Did It Happen Pt. 2?
By the time Will made his visit out to USC, good friend and fellow five-star cornerback Domani Jackson has already committed to the Trojans behind the scenes. In fact, Domani spent the weekend trying to recruit Will to join him in Los Angeles. When Will got back to Detroit, he told me that he really did like the idea of playing with Jackson and had developed a great relationship with Trojans ace recruiter Donte Williams. However, Will had hesitation about going so far away from home. That same day, Will had his first exchange with new Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. A few days later, Michigan brought in Mo Linguist. The two clicked instantly, and Linguist was able to help the Wolverines close the deal. Like I've told y'all before, Linguist knows how to shut the door with elite defensive backs.
6. How Did It Happen Pt. 3?
On Feb. 5, Will texted me 'we got a big one cooking up.' It was a super random message. I texted him back and said 'so you?' in regard to him being the dinner dish being cooked up for Michigan. He told me he was actually talking about Walter Nolen. Like I mentioned above, Will was already working on Nolen and will continue to do so moving forward. Nolen recently named Michigan a top school, and the Wolverines are very much in play. Will then told me he (Will) was going to announce his decision on March 29. Will was obviously leaning Michigan, but he told me USC was doing everything possible to sway him, so he wanted a little more time. Will, of course, moved up his date soon after our exchange. At that point, his mind was made up. He was going blue.
7. Domani Jackson
So can Will flip Domani from USC? Look, Michigan is definitely going to shoot its shot. I do think it will be an extremely tough task. Like I said before, Domani was already recruiting Will to USC before he committed. However, the two do have a close friendship, and I get the feeling that Domani is definitely more open to the idea of flipping than Will. The latter isn't going anywhere. He's locked in with the Wolverines and is a leader. Domani seems like he could make some late cycle visits. Remember, Domani still has a ton of family in the Midwest, and his father, Randy, is a big Michigan fan. Randy has a great relationship with Deon and also congratulated Will on Twitter.
8. Maurice Linguist
Michigan brought on Maurice Linguist as its co-defensive coordinator just a little more than a month ago. Since then, Linguist has closed with Will and offered and landed a pair of four-star defensive backs in Kody Jones and Taylor Groves. Linguist is the real deal in case you haven't figured that out already. The guy is an elite level recruiter and has to be Top 5 nationally in the recruiter rankings — I don't think Rivals keeps track of them until the end of the cycle. Will told me throughout the last couple of weeks that he really formed a strong relationship with Linguist and talked to him basically everyday. Linguist did an excellent job of pitching Will on his track record as a developer and well as how he would fit in with classmates Jones and Groves. And Linguist is far from done. Michigan could take half a dozen or more in the secondary.
9. Ron Bellamy
Something I found interesting is that Will already had a preexisting relationship with new Michigan safeties coach Ron Bellamy. When Bellamy was at West Bloomfield, Johnson would actually reach out to him and pick his brain about different schemes as well as the recruiting process. Bellamy was the perfect hire for Michigan. The kids around the Detroit-metro love him as do the key figureheads in the city. Bellamy did a fantastic job with Deon as well as with Will's godfather, Curtis Blackwell, who along with Deon, founded Sound Mind Sound Body. Bellamy is definitely mending some fences and already making a huge impact with in-state recruiting.
10. Panama City Beach
I'm actually typing up all this content from Panama City Beach. I'm in town for the Pylon 7v7 tournament and will have some notes from it in coming days. There were some no shows, which was disappointing, but I did get to see a pair of targets from Alabama in Rivals250 athlete Shemar James and three-star running back Quinshon Judkins. James looked like a fluid prospect while playing linebacker and recently named the Wolverines in his Top 8. Both defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and Aashon Larkins have been in contact. Judkins has not spoken to new running backs coach Mike Hart just yet, but he did have a great relationship with Jay Harbaugh and remains interested in the Wolverines. Again, I'll have more on both soon.
