Michigan CB Will Johnson on who's stepping into bigger roles after departures, major injury
Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson is now one of the elder statesmen in the secondary heading into his third season in Ann Arbor, which sees him step into more of a leadership role. As a program stalwart and veteran player, part of his role is to help usher in a younger group of players and eventually pass the baton.
For the second year in a row, there are questions on who might play the cornerback role opposite of him, in addition to the man who holds down the nickel role. Josh Wallace did the job last season as the No. 2 guy, and Mike Sainristil moves on after a tremendous two years of holding things down inside.
Johnson sees a promising group of replacements in Michigan’s spring camp so far.
“I’ve seen a lot of the young guys step up, like DJ Waller, Jyaire Hill, Ja’Den McBurrows, Zeke Berry, Kody Jones, Myles Pollard,” Johnson said Wednesday afternoon. “All of those guys have stepped up a lot. They’re taking that step for this next year coming up. So just keep stacking days throughout spring ball and keep getting better every day. They’ll be ready to go.”
Another recent development comes in the form of a knee injury for Rod Moore that has the potential to sideline him for the 2024 season. While still unconfirmed by players and those at Michigan, it is clear that there is a bit of a transformation that might have to take place at safety.
Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson, heading into their fifth and sixth years, respectively, will be leaned on. But Berry, a junior, could also factor into the mix.
“I think guys like Zeke have been playing really well,” Johnson said. “Q, he came back too, so I think we’ll be fine. We have all the pieces we need. They’re taking the steps every day with their preparation, and learning the defense, and the new scheme, and doing everything they can to be on the field, so I think they’ll be ready.”
While many of the names and faces are the same, Michigan had to change over its entire defensive staff following Jim Harbaugh’s departure for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. The group is now coordinated by Don “Wink” Martindale and the defensive backs are helmed by Lamar Morgan. The transition has been smooth, but the change at the top was sobering for one of the team’s top players.
“I was definitely heartbroken,” Johnson admitted. “We went through a lot with those guys. But I’m happy with the guys that are here now. They’ve been doing a great job at getting on the same page with us and working with us to be a cohesive group and work together. I’m excited about it. They’re very open and they’re very genuine. So it’s been great to see the new guys that are here.”
Johnson, who many believe could be a first-round prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, wants to improve everything in his skill set this offseason, but the transition from soft-spoken contributor to tone-setter and team leader is a work in progress.
But it is a process he is embracing.
“I think just trying to be a better leader on this on this team this year, being more vocal, tightening, tightening down the things that have always been kind of a normal thing,” Johnson said. “And some of the younger guys that might not know that just keeping that standard of what has been the last few years. Holding the guys to the standard that we’ve had, keeping that same mentality every day.”
