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DETROIT — If there’s a crucial player for Michigan to get in the 2022 class, it’s assuredly William Johnson, the Grosse Pointe (MI) South defensive back that’s already achieved five-star status, according to 247Sports.
Rated as the No. 11 player in the country in 2022, Johnson is the son of former Michigan defensive back Deon Johnson, who co-founded Sound Mind Sound Body along with Curtis Blackwell. He’s long had his Michigan offer, but is now finding himself in the limelight, as an early five-star in his class.
But, Johnson realizes that his rating is just the beginning if he continues to grind — not the means to an end itself.
“I just say it’s great motivation,” Johnson said. “I have great potential to do good if I work hard – I could be good.
“Gotta keep my 5-star (rating) – keep it going higher and higher.”
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Johnson has been going to games in Ann Arbor his whole life with his father, and while his father is instrumental to his recruitment, coming to Michigan is no slam dunk, just because he’s a legacy.
Naturally, as a national recruit, he’s going to have his pick of which school he attends. And, as he tells WolverinesWire, he didn’t exactly dream of going to Michigan in particular in his youth.
“I’m definitely keeping myself open,” Johnson said. “I don’t have a dream school or anything like that. Just trying to find the school that’s the best fit for me.”
That said, while Johnson won’t call Michigan his dream school, the familiarity certainly helps in his recruitment.
“It’s always like home, because I’ve been going there since I was little,” Johnson said. “My dad played there, so it’s always a good time going up there.”
Though he’s adept at safety — SMSB director Curtis Blackwell shared with WolverinesWire that it certainly could be in Johnson’s future — he’s being recruited by the maize and blue at cornerback, which is the position he’s rated at No. 3 in the country, per 247Sports.
At the moment, Penn State and Michigan have been recruiting him the hardest, and before the coaching change in East Lansing, so, too, was Michigan State.
But, this spring, Johnson wants to see the atmosphere down south, telling WolverinesWire he intends to visit powerhouses Alabama, Clemson and Georgia in the coming months.
As far as what he’s looking for, at the moment it’s pretty generic — which makes sense, given that it’s still relatively early in his recruitment.
“Probably the system that fits me best,” Johnson said. “(Also has a great group) of coaches. Family atmosphere. All that stuff like that.”
So is there a system he prefers?
As he tells it, not exactly. He just wants to feel comfortable in whatever defensive backfield he ends up choosing.
“Not specifically,” Johnson said. “Just one where I could come in and play at a high level that the coaches want me to play, and a good vibe with the coaches.”