Will Johnson was the crown jewel in the 2022 recruiting class for Michigan. Not only was he a five-star recruit, but he was the 15th-ranked recruit in the entire nation according to the 247Sports Composite.
Johnson began his career in Ann Arbor as a rotational piece in the defensive backs room playing between 15-30 snaps per game. But Johnson was inserted into the starting role in Week 10 at Rutgers and he never looked back.
Johnson finished the 2022 campaign as a lock-down defender and starter in the Michigan secondary. He recorded two interceptions in the Big Ten Championship against Purdue and finished the season with an outstanding 88.9 coverage grade from PFF.
Looking ahead to 2023, Pro Football Focus came out with their top-10 returning cornerbacks. The Wolverines’ soon-to-be sophomore was ranked third.
Johnson entered Ann Arbor as a five-star recruit and showed immediately that he was worth the hype.
He’ll remind many of Patrick Surtain II thanks to his size (6-foot-2) and lockdown ability. As a true freshman, Johnson’s 91.1 grade in man coverage led all corners in the Power Five. His two interceptions in man were also tied for fifth in that same group.
Alabama‘s Kool-Aid McKinstry and Penn State’s Kalen King were both ranked ahead of Johnson.
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