<a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-wolverines/">Michigan</a> standout defensive back <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/will-johnson-144219/">Will Johnson</a> is reaping the rewards of winning the national championship and returning for another season in Ann Arbor.



Johnson played an integral role in the Wolverines’ title, earning first-team All-America and consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors after recording four interceptions in 2023. He also earned Defensive Most Valuable Player recognition in the national championship game after making a <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1744551288329678851">game-changing interception</a> in the second half.



Will Johnson enters the 2024 season as one of the best cornerbacks in college football and a projected high draft pick. In a recent list from CBS Sports, Johnson was named one of the <a href="https://www.on3.com/news/cbs-sports-lists-top-20-college-football-players-eligible-for-2025-nfl-draft/">top 20 players set to be available</a> in the 2025 NFL Draft.



After last season and a successful freshman campaign in 2022, Johnson – a homegrown product from Grosse Point South High – is arguably the most recognizable face in the Wolverines program.



And that recognition has created a slew of <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/">NIL</a> opportunities over the past few weeks.



In the past three days, Johnson announced new <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/deals/">NIL deals</a> with Rockin’ Protein, Feldman Chevrolet of Highland and University of Michigan Credit Union.



“Will Johnson is one of the faces of the Michigan program at the moment, and he’s extremely marketable,” said <a href="https://www.on3.com/user/claytonsayfie/">Clayton Sayfie</a>, who covers Michigan football for <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-wolverines/">The Wolverine</a>.



“It’s no surprise companies are lining up to do deals with him coming off the type of season and national championship game he had. He’s now one of the leaders on the field and has helped keep the core group of Wolverines together through the coaching change this offseason. Johnson is a sure-fire All-American again this year and a likely first-round pick.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-johnson-a-national-brand">Will Johnson a ‘national brand’</h2>



The new NIL deals aren’t the first for Will Johnson. He’s previously partnered with EA Sports, Wolverine Boots, eFuse and even hosted his youth football camp.



But with his success in the national championship game and his name rocketing up draft boards, experts in the NIL space believe he’s also developing a brand that could resonate on the national level.



“Will Johnson is the total package,” one sports agent who doesn’t work with Johnson told On3. “He’s got charisma. He’s got swagger, and he’s a dammed good player. Will’s also quickly building out his social game.



“I predict a lot of top companies are going to want to work with him ahead of the college football season. Not only is he the face of Michigan football, in my opinion, he’s now a national NIL brand.”



That national appeal is also reflected in his <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/news/about-on3-nil-valuation-per-post-value/">On3 NIL Valuation</a>. Johnson <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/will-johnson-144219/nil/">ranks</a> No. 31 in the <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/rankings/player/nil-100/">On3 NIL 100</a>, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.



The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and personal NIL. Roster Value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wolverines-kept-core-group-together-with-nil">Wolverines kept core group together with NIL</h2>



Michigan lost only five scholarship players to the <a href="https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/">transfer portal</a> since coach <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/coach/jim-harbaugh-132176/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jim Harbaugh</a> departed the program in late January. The Wolverines also saw key players return for another season instead of heading to the NFL Draft, including senior running back <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/donovan-edwards-38163/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donovan Edwards</a>, senior safety <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/rod-moore-101526/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rod Moore</a>, graduate safety <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/makari-paige-81360/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Makari Paige</a> and others. 



Johnson <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-wolverines/news/michigan-football-nil-the-main-reason-wolverines-kept-core-group/">credited</a> the <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/collectives/champions-circle-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Champions Circle</a> <a href="https://www.on3.com/nil/collectives/">collective</a> for much of the player retention.



“Every year, it’s evolved,” Johnson said of Michigan’s NIL platform since he arrived in Ann Arbor. “They’re working with us to get guys in the transfer portal, and the guys that came back for another year.



“The collective has done a great job of putting their all into making it what it is now, and I think they’ve done a great job so far, so I’m excited to see where it’s going. It was very important. We needed to keep that core group together – a lot of the guys that had experience on this team last year, especially in the secondary. I think that was the main reason we were able to do that, and I think it’s going to be big for later in this offseason, too.”

michigan-wolverines-standout-will-johnson-developing-in-national-nil-brand

On3 NIL

Michigan standout Will Johnson developing in 'national NIL brand'

Teams

Fan Sites

Forums

Shows

team-link

College Football News

College Football Player Rankings

College Football Rankings

College Football Playoff

College Basketball News

Women's Sports

College

NIL News

NIL Valuation

NIL Deals

NIL Deal Tracker

Sports Business

Transfer Portal News

NCAA Transfer Portal News

NCAA Transfer Portal

Transfer Portal Rankings

Transfer Portal Team Rankings

Transfer Portal

NCAA Transfer Portal Home

Football Recruiting

Basketball Recruiting

Database

Team Rankings

Player Rankings

Industry Comparison

Commitments

Recruiting Prediction Machine

Recruiting

High School News

Schools

High School Search

Rankings

High School Rankings

Scores

High School Scores

High School

NFL Draft

NFL Draft News

Draft By Stars

College Draft History

College Draft Totals

NBA Draft

NBA Draft News

Draft

NASCAR

Culture

Sports Betting

About

On3 App

Advertise

Press

Contact

Football

Basketball

Women's Basketball

Softball

Baseball

News

Deals

Recruits

Events

Newsletter

Alabama

Arizona State

Arizona

Arkansas

Auburn

Baylor

Boston College

California

Removed

Clemson

Colorado

Duke

Florida

Florida State

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Kentucky

Lettermen Row

Lettermen Lounge

Louisville

Maryland

Miami

Michigan State

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi State

Missouri

NC State

Nebraska

North Carolina

Northwestern

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Ole Miss

The Main Board

Oregon

Oregon State

Penn State

Pittsburgh

Purdue

Rutgers

South Carolina

Stanford

Syracuse

Tennessee

Texas A&M

Texas

Texas Tech

UCLA

Utah

Vanderbilt

Virginia

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest

Washington

Washington State

West Virginia

Wisconsin

BamaOnLine

BOL Round Table

Inside Texas

IT Members Only

DawgsHQ

Dawg Walk

Scoop Duck

Recruiting & Sports

AuburnSports

The Corner

WeAreSC

GarryP's Trojan Huddle

The Wolverine

The Fort

The Lions Den

The Wolfpacker

The Wolves’ Den

GatorsOnline

Swamp Talk

Alabama A&M

Alabama State

Albany

Alcorn State

Abilene Christian

Appalachian State

Akron

Army

Austin Peay

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Arkansas-Little Rock

Arkansas State

Air Force

Ball State

American

Wofford

Winthrop

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Wisconsin-Green Bay

Wichita State

Western Carolina

Volleyball

Gymnastics

Men's Lacrosse

Women's Lacrosse

Men's Soccer

Women's Soccer

Women's Track

Men's Golf

Women's Golf

Men's Hockey

Women's Hockey

Men's Swimming

Women's Swimming

Wrestling

Men's Tennis

Women's Tennis

Annual $1

Annual Premium

Annual $1 

Monthly

Annual

Unlimited Access to This and All Articles.

Article (On3 Plus Rivals)

Forum (On3 Plus Rivals)

Michigan standout Will Johnson developing in 'national NIL brand'

Jaden Rashada

Damon Wilson

Sherrone Moore

Looking ahead

Transfer Portal Intel