*** It was an easy day at the office for Will Johnson. The five-star Michigan commit played about two and a half quarters in Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South's blowout win over Detroit (Mich.) Renaissance on Thursday night. Johnson performed several roles for South, playing safety, wide receiver and returning punts. Johnson usually gets some wildcat quarterback action in as well, but I'm assuming we'll see that later in the year. No, Johnson didn't play his normal cornerback position at all. South wants to give him more opportunities to make plays, and nobody dared to throw his way as a junior.
*** The strategy to move Johnson to safety paid off in the opener. Two plays in particular stood out to me. On the first, Johnson played his zone, which was shallow. However, a receiver got behind the defense and appeared to be open for a touchdown. Johnson quickly peeled off a receiver running a slant, raced towards the open man, and made a play on the ball to cause a turnover on downs. Johnson has such a high football IQ and great awareness. The second was his interception. Johnson made a great pre-snap read as Renaissance lined up its best player way out wide. Johnson knew it was going to be a go route and sprinted over to the sideline. The South corner got hands on the receiver, disrupting his route, and Johnson was in the perfect pick off a fluttering ball.
*** Some Will Johnson doubters have questioned his speed and athleticism. Look, Renaissance wasn't very good, but Johnson flat out dominated and looked great doing it. Johnson's punt return for a touchdown saw him race past defenders and run through arm tackles en route to spinning into the end zone. Johnson almost had his second touchdown of the day as he took a jet sweep 18 yards down to the one-yard-line. He also added a couple of receptions and showed off improved speed. Johnson has been working with a private speed coach, and it's definitely showing. I caught up with Johnson's father, Deon, after the game and mentioned Johnson's speed, and he said he also noticed an extra gear. Johnson dominated in basketball and also made it to the state track meet. He's perfectly fine in the speed and athleticism categories.
*** It's hard to find many faults in Johnson's games. If I had to nitpick, I would say Johnson can continue to learn to take better angles when playing the run from his safety spot. He loves to be physical and deliver big hits. He came downhill in a hurry and flipped a ball carrier in the second quarter, but he doesn't always wrap up. That's pretty much it. Johnson is ready to go. He really could have seen the field at Michigan this season. I fully expect him to play a lot and maybe even start as a true freshman. He's basically maxed out at the high school level.
*** The strategy to move Johnson to safety paid off in the opener. Two plays in particular stood out to me. On the first, Johnson played his zone, which was shallow. However, a receiver got behind the defense and appeared to be open for a touchdown. Johnson quickly peeled off a receiver running a slant, raced towards the open man, and made a play on the ball to cause a turnover on downs. Johnson has such a high football IQ and great awareness. The second was his interception. Johnson made a great pre-snap read as Renaissance lined up its best player way out wide. Johnson knew it was going to be a go route and sprinted over to the sideline. The South corner got hands on the receiver, disrupting his route, and Johnson was in the perfect pick off a fluttering ball.
*** Some Will Johnson doubters have questioned his speed and athleticism. Look, Renaissance wasn't very good, but Johnson flat out dominated and looked great doing it. Johnson's punt return for a touchdown saw him race past defenders and run through arm tackles en route to spinning into the end zone. Johnson almost had his second touchdown of the day as he took a jet sweep 18 yards down to the one-yard-line. He also added a couple of receptions and showed off improved speed. Johnson has been working with a private speed coach, and it's definitely showing. I caught up with Johnson's father, Deon, after the game and mentioned Johnson's speed, and he said he also noticed an extra gear. Johnson dominated in basketball and also made it to the state track meet. He's perfectly fine in the speed and athleticism categories.
*** It's hard to find many faults in Johnson's games. If I had to nitpick, I would say Johnson can continue to learn to take better angles when playing the run from his safety spot. He loves to be physical and deliver big hits. He came downhill in a hurry and flipped a ball carrier in the second quarter, but he doesn't always wrap up. That's pretty much it. Johnson is ready to go. He really could have seen the field at Michigan this season. I fully expect him to play a lot and maybe even start as a true freshman. He's basically maxed out at the high school level.
