Tag: Ricky Johnson

What Jyaire Hill has seen from transfers and a freshman Michigan cornerback

Besides Will Johnson, the cornerback room is going to look a bit different in 2024. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It might not have been huge news across the college football landscape, but Michigan football managed to fill out its cornerback room nicely via the transfer portal after spring ball.

Albany transfer Aamir Hall played over 1,000 snaps in 2023 and was an absolute ball hawk a year ago, managing five interceptions and a forced fumble. It’s thought that Hall is battling with Wolverines sophomore corner Jyaire Hill for the starting role opposite Will Johnson, and Hill admits that his competition with Hall in fall camp is a battle.

“He’s an aggressive cornerback, smooth,” Hill said. “We call him ‘silent reaper.’ We’ve been battling, everybody needs a role on the team. We’ve been going back and forth — everybody’s trying to find something.”

Hall gets all of the headlines but former UNLV cornerback Ricky Johnson was a starter last year for the Rebels. Michigan didn’t see him in person as he missed the Week 2 game at The Big House with an injury. But Hill says that Johnson brings a lot of physicality to the role and that he has a lot of positive attributes the defensive backfield is looking for.

“Ricky — he’s real physical,” Hill said. “He tackles good, comes in strong. We call him ‘Crash Out Ricky.’ He’s smooth. Eyes (are good). He real, he know a lot about the game.”

There’s a decent chance we’ll see Hill, Hall, and Johnson all take the field for meaningful minutes in rotation this upcoming season. But it’s not clear if any of the freshmen will get those same opportunities with the depth ahead of them.

Of the two first-year cornerbacks who Michigan brought in this year, Jo’Ziah Edmond is the one fans are excited to see. At the time of his commitment, he was a three-star who flipped from Purdue. But by the time he signed in December, he was a four-star and one of Michigan’s highest-rated pledges in the entire class.

Hill says that he’s taking on a mentorship role with Edmond, which is made all the easier because Edmond has a zeal for learning the system and getting better.

“Jo’Ziah — I like Jo’Ziah,” “I’m trying to help him get into his playbook early, it’s a bit behind him. He’s real smooth. He real, really wants to practice — real excited. Feet good, physical, too. He just wants to get out there and play, run around.”

Fans will likely get an opportunity to see all three early in the season, starting with the first game against Fresno State. The Bulldogs come to Ann Arbor on Aug. 31 for a season-opening night game at The Big House.

Michigan football gets yet another defensive back commitment

Another solid addition via the portal! #GoBlue

Michigan football has been on something of a tear when it’s come to the transfer portal of late.

While they aren’t big names, the Wolverines have bolstered the defensive backfield in recent days, with the commitments of Albany cornerback Aamir Hall, Tennessee and Louisville safety Wesley Walker, and Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham. But the maize and blue aren’t done, it appears.

Also visiting Ann Arbor on Friday was UNLV cornerback Ricky Johnson — who originally committed to Washington State before signing with the Rebels. In 2023, Johnson had 36 tackles with three for loss and seven passes broken up.

And he committed to Michigan football.

Johnson is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and was the No. 672 player available in the transfer portal. He originally hails from Houston (Tx.) Cy Falls and was in the 2020 recruiting class. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Though he was on the Rebels when they came to Ann Arbor to play Michigan, he did not play in the Week 2 contest in 2023. He was a preseason All-American in the Mountain West last year but his injury precluded him from action in the first two games and he didn’t quite live up to expectations due to his injury.

With Johnson in the fold, Michigan football has its complement in the defensive back room. Will Johnson is the obvious starter and a star player while opposite him, the Wolverines could find productive members of the corps between Jyaire Hill, Ja’Den McBurrows, Myles Pollard, Kody Jones, Aamir Hill and the newly-added Johnson. At safety, while Rod Moore works back from injury, the Wolverines have incumbents Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson along with former starters in Wesley Walker and Jaden Mangham, while Brandyn Hillman figures to be elevated into the rotation. Zeke Berry could play safety or more likely will be the starting nickel.