1. Will Johnson Is Pissed
The leader of the 2022 class is angry. No, Will Johnson isn't wavering. He's in the same boat as you. Like most of the Michigan fanbase, Johnson is not happy with the Xavier Worthy situation (we'll get to that in a bit). Obviously, losing a talent like Worthy isn't ideal, especially one that has gamebreaking speed in an offense that is supposed to be based around, well, speed. But there really isn't anything anyone can do about it. Worthy is no longer part of the program as a result of one of the strangest recruitments/enrollment situations in history. Johnson is now taking it upon himself to help Gattis fill that role. In fact, Johnson messaged me to get my thoughts on RIvals100 athlete Kaleb Brown. As Johnson put it, Michigan needs a guy to take the top off a defense, and he's going to work hard on Brown and other speedy wide outs moving forward.
2. Will Johnson Is Recruiting
As mentioned, expect Johnson to get more involved with Brown. With the Illinois high school football season coming to a close this weekend, Brown is gearing up to turn his attention to recruiting. Right now, Ohio State appears to lead, but Michigan has been a constant contender and can swing momentum this summer. Johnson played a key role this week in helping co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist lock in an official visit with Rivals250 Georgia DB commit Marquis Groves-Killebrew. Johnson doesn't know Killebrew personally, but as I've said before, Johnson commands the respect of his peers, and he put in some work to convince Killebrew to join him in Ann Arbor on June 18. Lastly, Johnson has some tricks up his sleeve this weekend. It's not a commitment, but trust me, Johnson is going after a big fish hard. I'll have more on that this weekend.
3. Tyler Morris Is In
Before we dive into the elephant in the room, I just want to say that you shouldn't lose excitement about the commitment of Rivals100 wide receiver Tyler Morris. If anyone can overcome adversity, it's him. Morris is one of the best kids I've ever met during my 10 years covering recruiting. He is respectful to everyone he meets, is an excellent teammate, is a great student, was named a team captain as a junior and will likely earn the same title before he leaves Michigan. On top of that, he's an advanced route runner, may have the best hands in the 2022 recruiting class and has the flexibility to be a playmaker in the slot or on the outside. When healthy, Morris is the total package. He's a coach's dream.
4. The Injury
By now, you should know that Morris sped up his timeline and committed to Michigan in a very low key way due, in large part, to an injury he suffered last weekend. Morris confirmed with me that he has a torn ACL and added that he also tore his meniscus. It's a terrible injury, and I absolutely hate it for Tyler. I was right there when it happened, too, and I can't get the play out of my head. Morris went up for an interception and his leg gave out as soon as he landed. When I walked by him on the training table later in the game, I could tell something was seriously wrong. Morris looked at me and just shook his head. I was pretty upset, considering how close I've grown to Tyler over the last two years. Anyway, Tyler is in good spirits. I talked to his parents this weekend, and they told me Tyler is ready to get to work with rehab and is determined to get back on the field as soon as he can.
5. Good Bye, Xavier Worthy
I can't stop laughing at this entire situation. I know you may not share in my amusement, but this is absolutely the most ridiculous situation I've ever covered in my time doing this. And I've covered a lot of ridiculous situations. From the Bru McCoy saga, to the Jordan Elliott flips, to secret in homes in a Florida hotel to a grandma allegedly dropping bags of cash in a park for recruits to a dad not threatening to call the police if his son took his car to visit another school to so much more. Again, nothing tops the nightmare that was the Worthy situation. From a pure talent standpoint, Worthy is a loss. He could have made an immediate impact and used his blazing speed to change the offense. It's going to be tough to replace that. My thoughts on Worthy as a player haven't changed. He's dynamite.
6. Good Bye, Xavier Worthy Pt. 2
From an off the field standpoint, Michigan may be better off, especially when you're trying to change the culture for the better. The amounts of twists and turns to cover in this circus are too much to discuss in a column like this. Down the line, I'll probably write a tell all feature. If you attended the Chicago Suburbs meet and greet, you got most of the full story. And it took basically an hour to tell. If you see me in person at future meet and greets, I'll tell you guys there as well. For now, I think it's best to let it die down a bit. There were some issues on both sides, and I don't feel like it's the appropriate time to share. I know you guys are paying customers, but there is also sensitivity on the Michigan side, and hurting the program is last on the priority list.
7. Back On The Circuit
Last weekend, I had an opportunity to get back on the AAU circuit, which was super fun. I had some football duties, so I didn't get the full experience, but I really enjoyed it. As I've mentioned before, I want to get more involved in hoops recruiting moving forward. I covered some high profile prospects when Larry Brown was at SMU, so I do have experience doing it. I also build really good relationships with kids and families on the football side, and that should be no different with basketball. In fact, I'll be back on the circuit very, very soon, so I expect our hoops recruiting coverage to be even better.
8. Back On The Circuit Pt. 2
I gave my thoughts on top 2022 Michigan hoops targets Ty Rodgers and AJ Casey earlier in the week. But I do want to say that I feel like both of these guys would be key pieces to the class. Casey is an elite level talent that doesn't just have to be pigeon holed to the four. He can also play wing and even the five if needed. He's a good shooter for a big man and can score in so many ways. Rodgers may not be as naturally gifted as Casey, but man, that dude is gritty. Nobody on the court out-hustles Rodgers, and his ability to create is top tier. I also love how aggressive he is as a rebounder and defender. He's a four trapped in a three's body. Overall, both seem like good kids and program fits as well.
9. EJ Back On The Road
If you follow me on Twitter then you know that I am currently in Las Vegas for the Pylon 7v7 tournament.So far, it's been a pretty productive trip. I took the first flight out of Chicago this morning, landed in Vegas and drove about an hour to Mesquite, which is on the Utah border. The early window featured Michigan defensive back commit Kody Jones, Rivals250 offensive line target Malik Agbo, who is here snapping and playing some tight end and rising 2023 linebacker target Liona Lefau. I will have more on them throughout the weekend. There will also be some recruits in the late window that I'll be monitoring. Right now, I'm going to the hotel to nap.
10. People In The Attic
Sorry if I've been on and off the board as of late. My wife and I have been on the search for a new apartment. We're staying in Chicago, but our building sold, and we are now sandwiched by two landlords in a three-flat, which isn't ideal. We actually found a coach house last week, which is a private unit in the city. However, after signing the lease, the landlord informed us that he had family members living in the attic. He never informed us or our leasing agent, so we cancelled the lease. The whole situation was beyond strange. Now, we're back on the hunt. Wish us luck.
The leader of the 2022 class is angry. No, Will Johnson isn't wavering. He's in the same boat as you. Like most of the Michigan fanbase, Johnson is not happy with the Xavier Worthy situation (we'll get to that in a bit). Obviously, losing a talent like Worthy isn't ideal, especially one that has gamebreaking speed in an offense that is supposed to be based around, well, speed. But there really isn't anything anyone can do about it. Worthy is no longer part of the program as a result of one of the strangest recruitments/enrollment situations in history. Johnson is now taking it upon himself to help Gattis fill that role. In fact, Johnson messaged me to get my thoughts on RIvals100 athlete Kaleb Brown. As Johnson put it, Michigan needs a guy to take the top off a defense, and he's going to work hard on Brown and other speedy wide outs moving forward.
2. Will Johnson Is Recruiting
As mentioned, expect Johnson to get more involved with Brown. With the Illinois high school football season coming to a close this weekend, Brown is gearing up to turn his attention to recruiting. Right now, Ohio State appears to lead, but Michigan has been a constant contender and can swing momentum this summer. Johnson played a key role this week in helping co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist lock in an official visit with Rivals250 Georgia DB commit Marquis Groves-Killebrew. Johnson doesn't know Killebrew personally, but as I've said before, Johnson commands the respect of his peers, and he put in some work to convince Killebrew to join him in Ann Arbor on June 18. Lastly, Johnson has some tricks up his sleeve this weekend. It's not a commitment, but trust me, Johnson is going after a big fish hard. I'll have more on that this weekend.
3. Tyler Morris Is In
Before we dive into the elephant in the room, I just want to say that you shouldn't lose excitement about the commitment of Rivals100 wide receiver Tyler Morris. If anyone can overcome adversity, it's him. Morris is one of the best kids I've ever met during my 10 years covering recruiting. He is respectful to everyone he meets, is an excellent teammate, is a great student, was named a team captain as a junior and will likely earn the same title before he leaves Michigan. On top of that, he's an advanced route runner, may have the best hands in the 2022 recruiting class and has the flexibility to be a playmaker in the slot or on the outside. When healthy, Morris is the total package. He's a coach's dream.
4. The Injury
By now, you should know that Morris sped up his timeline and committed to Michigan in a very low key way due, in large part, to an injury he suffered last weekend. Morris confirmed with me that he has a torn ACL and added that he also tore his meniscus. It's a terrible injury, and I absolutely hate it for Tyler. I was right there when it happened, too, and I can't get the play out of my head. Morris went up for an interception and his leg gave out as soon as he landed. When I walked by him on the training table later in the game, I could tell something was seriously wrong. Morris looked at me and just shook his head. I was pretty upset, considering how close I've grown to Tyler over the last two years. Anyway, Tyler is in good spirits. I talked to his parents this weekend, and they told me Tyler is ready to get to work with rehab and is determined to get back on the field as soon as he can.
5. Good Bye, Xavier Worthy
I can't stop laughing at this entire situation. I know you may not share in my amusement, but this is absolutely the most ridiculous situation I've ever covered in my time doing this. And I've covered a lot of ridiculous situations. From the Bru McCoy saga, to the Jordan Elliott flips, to secret in homes in a Florida hotel to a grandma allegedly dropping bags of cash in a park for recruits to a dad not threatening to call the police if his son took his car to visit another school to so much more. Again, nothing tops the nightmare that was the Worthy situation. From a pure talent standpoint, Worthy is a loss. He could have made an immediate impact and used his blazing speed to change the offense. It's going to be tough to replace that. My thoughts on Worthy as a player haven't changed. He's dynamite.
6. Good Bye, Xavier Worthy Pt. 2
From an off the field standpoint, Michigan may be better off, especially when you're trying to change the culture for the better. The amounts of twists and turns to cover in this circus are too much to discuss in a column like this. Down the line, I'll probably write a tell all feature. If you attended the Chicago Suburbs meet and greet, you got most of the full story. And it took basically an hour to tell. If you see me in person at future meet and greets, I'll tell you guys there as well. For now, I think it's best to let it die down a bit. There were some issues on both sides, and I don't feel like it's the appropriate time to share. I know you guys are paying customers, but there is also sensitivity on the Michigan side, and hurting the program is last on the priority list.
7. Back On The Circuit
Last weekend, I had an opportunity to get back on the AAU circuit, which was super fun. I had some football duties, so I didn't get the full experience, but I really enjoyed it. As I've mentioned before, I want to get more involved in hoops recruiting moving forward. I covered some high profile prospects when Larry Brown was at SMU, so I do have experience doing it. I also build really good relationships with kids and families on the football side, and that should be no different with basketball. In fact, I'll be back on the circuit very, very soon, so I expect our hoops recruiting coverage to be even better.
8. Back On The Circuit Pt. 2
I gave my thoughts on top 2022 Michigan hoops targets Ty Rodgers and AJ Casey earlier in the week. But I do want to say that I feel like both of these guys would be key pieces to the class. Casey is an elite level talent that doesn't just have to be pigeon holed to the four. He can also play wing and even the five if needed. He's a good shooter for a big man and can score in so many ways. Rodgers may not be as naturally gifted as Casey, but man, that dude is gritty. Nobody on the court out-hustles Rodgers, and his ability to create is top tier. I also love how aggressive he is as a rebounder and defender. He's a four trapped in a three's body. Overall, both seem like good kids and program fits as well.
9. EJ Back On The Road
If you follow me on Twitter then you know that I am currently in Las Vegas for the Pylon 7v7 tournament.So far, it's been a pretty productive trip. I took the first flight out of Chicago this morning, landed in Vegas and drove about an hour to Mesquite, which is on the Utah border. The early window featured Michigan defensive back commit Kody Jones, Rivals250 offensive line target Malik Agbo, who is here snapping and playing some tight end and rising 2023 linebacker target Liona Lefau. I will have more on them throughout the weekend. There will also be some recruits in the late window that I'll be monitoring. Right now, I'm going to the hotel to nap.
10. People In The Attic
Sorry if I've been on and off the board as of late. My wife and I have been on the search for a new apartment. We're staying in Chicago, but our building sold, and we are now sandwiched by two landlords in a three-flat, which isn't ideal. We actually found a coach house last week, which is a private unit in the city. However, after signing the lease, the landlord informed us that he had family members living in the attic. He never informed us or our leasing agent, so we cancelled the lease. The whole situation was beyond strange. Now, we're back on the hunt. Wish us luck.
