Michigan’s true freshman cornerback, Will Johnson, has been turning heads as of late for the Wolverines, capturing his first career interception in Week 11 against Rutgers. But while his emergence may seem rapid to the casual onlooker, his journey to the starting lineup for a top-5 program is a lifetime in the making.
Will Johnson’s father, Deon Johnson, played defensive back for Michigan from 1991 to 1994, and was a key contributor during the Wolverines’ run to a 1992 Big 10 championship. Today, Deon works closely with the Sound Mind Sound Body football academy, an organization he co-founded that aims to help high school students in underserved communities make it to the next level athletically and academically.
It’s no surprise that a young Will Johnson followed in his dad’s footsteps, quickly becoming one of the nation’s most sought-after defensive recruits. While playing high school ball at Grosse Pointe, Johnson earned a coveted 5-star rating from Rivals and 247 Sports, unanimously making him the top-ranked recruit in the state of Michigan.
After enrolling early at the University of Michigan, Johnson got to work quickly. Working with secondary coach Steve Clinkscale, he learned the system and started conditioning at the level necessary to compete in the Big 10. Like any 5-star prospect, he immediately received more attention and pressure than most of his teammates. Before ever playing a game for the Wolverines, Will Johnson became the first-ever brand ambassador of Valiant Management Group, Michigan’s new NIL initiative.
Johnson wears the number 2, a number that was dawned by the greatest cornerback to ever grace the field in Ann Arbor, Charles Woodson. While those may be big shoes to fill, it’s beginning to look like he’s up to the task.
Now, the Michigan Wolverines are 12-0 for the first time since 1997, and Will Johnson just played one of the best games of his life against Michigan’s arch-rival Ohio State. Playing in one of the best secondarys in the country, and preparing for the Big 10 Championship game has Johnson exactly where he wanted to be. In a recent interview, he said “I’m living the dream. I grew up wanting to play here and playing on the highest level and starting, too, as a freshman. It’s definitely a blessing.”
As we’ve found out the hard way, not all top-ranked recruits work out when they take their talent to Michigan. But Will Johnson appears to be taking all the necessary steps to realize his full potential. He will still need to take massive strides to achieve anything close to Charles Woodson-like prestige, but he’s off to a great start bulding his legacy.
