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DETROIT — In the 2022 recruiting class, at this juncture, Will Johnson is basically royalty.
When WolverinesWire spoke to him in February, the Grosse Pointe (MI) South cornerback was already a five-star, ranked No. 15 in the nation. Now he’s already all the way up to No. 8 in the country.
Still, Johnson feels more like a recruit who’s seeking to prove himself more than someone who is an elite-level prospect. Already, he has 26 offers, from the likes of LSU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Oklahoma and others.
As he waits for his year, 2022, to be on the clock come Sept. 1 — when coaches can initiate contact rather than him reaching out to them — Johnson is trying to be as egalitarian as possible.
“Mostly just talking to everybody, keeping in touch with all the coaches,” Johnson said. “I’ve just been trying to talk to every coach I have a relationship with, all the schools that are interested in me, so that’s been the biggest thing.”
That said, who’s coming after him hardest and showing him the most love?
The Michigan legacy notes the Wolverines are among them, along with some other powerhouses across the country.
”I’d say — who’s recruiting me the hardest right now?” Johnson said. “Probably Michigan, Arizona State, Ohio State, Penn State, USC — schools like that.”
Here at @SMSBFootball checking out 2022 5-star CBans big #Michigan target @Willj1228. pic.twitter.com/2oW7TDpheC
— Isaiah Hole (@isaiahhole) August 30, 2020
As far as Michigan is concerned, at the moment, the Wolverines are putting on a full-court press to get Johnson to follow his father Deon’s footsteps and wear a winged helmet.
As many coaches that can be have been involved in his recruitment, from Jim Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Don Brown, cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich, tight ends coach Sherrone Moore and evening strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. At the moment, Johnson feels he’s especially wanted in Ann Arbor.
“Definitely right now,” Johnson said. “Every week, it’s something new. They’re trying to get me comfortable. (I talk to) all the coaches. This week, strength coach — last week, with the D-coordinator Don Brown. The week before that, Coach Harbaugh. I talk to Coach Zordich every week.”
There’s a colloquialism about there being too many cooks in the kitchen, but Michigan is handling the situation with panache.
Though he’s heard from all of the above and is building a relationship with the coaching staff as a whole, his point man is Zordich, who he speaks to weekly, and about more than just football.
“I’m probably the closest with Coach Zordich — I talk to him every week,” Johnson said. “I’m definitely more and more comfortable with everybody and it’s easier to talk to everybody. We’re building a good relationship.
”Every week (Coach Zordich and I) talk about what’s going on, Doesn’t have to stress, we just talk to each other.”
As a class of 2022 recruit, Johnson is still a ways off from making any kind of permanent decision. But he tells WolverinesWire that, as far as his timeline is concerned, he’s just going to continue paying attention to who wants him the most, and then whittle down his list.
”I’m just gonna see who recruits me the hardest and after that, I’m gonna have a Top 5 or Top 10 — something like that.”
While we only had a few short minutes, Johnson shared his thoughts on two others of the schools recruiting him hardest.
Arizona State
“Their pitch to me is they have an all-Black coaching staff,” Johnson said. “That’s real big, especially with everything going on. I talk to them a lot. That’s probably the biggest thing — building a relationship first.”
Ohio State
“Mostly I just talk to Coach Coombs right now, about every week,” Johnson said. “With them, it’s the same — keeping in touch, building a relationship. I talk to them about what’s going on.”
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