The 2021 Michigan target discusses his recruitment by the Wolverines.
[jwplayer ijCrlIvI-XNcErKyb]
Since Josh Gattis arrived last year as Michigan’s offensive coordinator, the buzzwords ‘speed in space’ accurately describe what the maize and blue are looking to do on that side of the ball. Thus, there’s been a priority made on skill position players who can stretch the field with highlighted ability of flat out being able to outrun opposing defenses.
One 2021 prospect that certainly fits that mold is Alexandria (VA) St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes four-star wide-receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr.
[lawrence-related id=20973]
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound wideout — who is also looking to run track at the college level — has only run an official 40-yard dash once in recent memory, last year, when he was injured. He feels now that he can do much better than his listed 4.5 second time, which is already blazing fast in its own right.
Johnson visited Michigan back in October last year, coming to The Big House for the Wolverines blowout victory over Notre Dame in a torrential downpour. But he liked what he saw on that visit, as fast as it went.
“I really like their school,” Johnson told WolverinesWire. “The time was a little rushed, but I feel like it was a great – I had a great time. I really enjoyed it. It was great though.
“It was a great atmosphere. I liked the atmosphere.”
While it’s hard for Johnson to pin down which of his reported 21 offers are recruiting him hardest — ‘They’re all showing love for the most part,’ he said. His impressive offer sheet includes teams like Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Auburn, and most recently LSU and Arkansas.
Though, he is feeling like the Wolverines are particularly making him a priority, and he’s pleased with how his relationship with Josh Gattis has progressed.
“I feel they definitely have made me feel like a priority,” Johnson said. “The coaches have really been doing a great job of recruiting. So that’s one job they’ve really done a great job in.
“(With Gattis), I feel like it’s a great relationship in that it’s only gonna get better. He’s really been in my corner.”
Naturally, he’s being pitched the offense as something that is particularly suited to his skillset, one where he can thrive given his speed and ability as a wideout.
“Basically, (they’re telling me) they’re gonna pass the ball,” Johnson said. “It’s receiver-friendly and things like that. The speed – they need the speed, basically – which is a huge asset.
“It definitely means a lot because I definitely want to go to a place where I’m gonna get the ball.”
So, what is he looking for at this juncture?
It feels a ways off before he intends to make any sort of decision about his future — as he noted, he hasn’t whittled down his list to top schools just yet. Nor does Johnson have a childhood favorite or team he watches on the regular — a component he notes makes things ‘a huge challenge, if I’m being honest,’ given that he has no particular affinity.
But what he’s looking for fits squarely into what we’ve heard a lot of Michigan targets say about their wants and needs — notably, ‘a family atmosphere.’
“What’s important to me is the environment,” Johnson said. “So that means I want to be around people that also want to be great as well – me not being the only one. I’d like a family atmosphere, that’s important to me. And of course, a school that lets me do football and track, also.”
There’s no telling whether or not the maize and blue will have staying power in his recruitment, though the way he raves about it and about Gattis indicates that’s certainly a potential landing spot.
Most recently, he visited UNC and plans to take more visits this spring, naturally. But he spoke plainly about Ann Arbor and the football program there, noting how it continues to be among the top schools out there.
“I feel like Michigan, the program speaks for itself,” he said. “There’s really nothing you can say. It’s a great program.”
