Newsstand: Michigan safety Quinten Johnson — 'It's time to win another national championship'
Tweets Of The Day
Michigan safety Quinten Johnson announced Feb. 2 that he was entering the 2024 NFL Draft. However, as TheWolverine.com first reported Monday night, he has changed course and will now return to U-M for his sixth year of college football. The move marks a big development for a Michigan safety group that returns senior Rod Moore and graduate Makari Paige but lost junior Keon Sabb to transfer (Alabama).
“After heavy consideration of the current status of an injury suffered late in last year’s national championship run, I have decided to forgo the NFL and return to the University of Michigan for one more year,” Johnson wrote on social media, making the news official. With that being said, it’s time to win another national championship!”
The Silver Spring, Md., native was in Michigan’s safety rotation last season, posting 22 tackles, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups and a forced fumble while helping the Wolverines finish 15-0 and win the program’s 12th national championship. He stepped up with big plays in some of the most crucial games, including with a big hit on Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in a 30-24 win and a forced fumble on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in a 27-20 overtime victory in the Rose Bowl.
Michigan has two of the top returning defensive tackles in college football, according to PFF analyst Max Chadwick. Junior Mason Graham was ranked the No. 1 interior defensive lineman, while classmate Kenneth Grant slotted No. 6. The Wolverines and Notre Dame were the only two schools to have multiple players on the list of 10 defensive linemen.
Former Michigan running back (1991-94) and running backs coach (2015-16) Tyrone Wheatley — now the head coach at Division II Wayne State — has been selected for induction into the National High School Hall of Fame.
Here’s more from the NFHS press release:
Tyrone Wheatley was one of the top multi-sport athletes in Michigan high school sports history during his days at Dearborn Heights Robichaud High School in Dearborn, Michigan. When it came to the sports of football, basketball, and track and field, few have achieved the level of Tyrone Wheatley.
In three seasons as a running back on the football team, Wheatley ran for 4,257 yards and 67 touchdowns, including 2,010 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior in 1990. That season, in addition to his duties as running back, Wheatley also played quarterback at times, defensive back and was the punter, kicker and kick returner. He led Robichaud to its only state championship in 1990, when he ran for 168 yards, three touchdowns, kicked three extra points, punted and made 13 tackles in the title game.
Michigan basketball had nobody selected to the All-Big Ten teams.
Quote Of The Day
“That’s what Michigan’s known for, right? Our O-linemen are great. If you don’t get better quick, you’re going to get hurt out there. It’s nice going against an elite O-line in practice.”
— Michigan sophomore defensive tackle Trey Pierce in an exclusive interview with The Wolverine
Headlines Of The Day
• Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine: Michigan DT Trey Pierce shined behind the scenes, hopes to break out in 2024: ‘I want to play a lot’
• EJ Holland, The Wolverine: Top 100 LB TJ Alford talks Michigan offer, bond with Brian Jean-Mary
• Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine: How six Michigan basketball transfers are faring elsewhere in 2023-24
• Anthony Broome, The Wolverine: Team trades into top five for J.J. McCarthy in latest mock draft
• Chris Balas, The Wolverine: Tuesday Thoughts: Yes, Michigan can make the playoff in 2024-25
