Will Johnson discusses injury, reflects on matchup with Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Michigan Wolverines are playing for a Big Ten Championship on Saturday night and have aspirations of competing for more than that before the season is over. Sophomore cornerback Will Johnson is set to be a big key to that if he stays healthy.
Unfortunately, Johnson tweaked something in his leg during the week of practice leading up to the win over Ohio State. While he was able to go for most of the game, he was later removed and did not return.
“I feel a lot better than I did on Saturday,” Johnson said Tuesday night. “Yeah, just tweaked a little something. But I was out at practice today, and everything’s good.
“It’s something that happened during the week last week, but I practiced a little lighter so I could make it to the game and just flare it up again.”
Johnson was limited in camp and earlier this season while recovering from an offseason procedure. But his play rounded into expected form, and he was named a first-team All-Big Ten performer on Tuesday afternoon. He’ll do what he can to get out there for Saturday night’s game against Iowa.
“I mean my best ability is availability, so trying to be available is the biggest thing, and trying to be at my best health is the biggest thing too,” Johnson said. “So I mean, I’m going to do whatever I can to be out there to Saturday, but if that’s not the case, then I’ll be back the next time we play.”
Saturday’s win over OSU was headlined by the matchup with Johnson and Ohio State star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., a potential Heisman candidate and top-overall pick in next April’s NFL Draft. Harrison was kept in check by the Michigan defense with only five catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson had plenty to do with that and picked off OSU QB Kyle McCord early on targeting Harrison, which led to seven points for the Wolverines early in the game. Johnson reviewed the matchup he took on during the Michigan win.
“Probably the biggest matchup I had of the season,” Johnson said. “So I was definitely locked into it. A lot of preparation went into it. And I give a lot of credit to him. He’s a great receiver. So I was definitely amped up for it and was willing to take on that task this week.
“He tracks the ball very well and is very good at having late hands and things like that to react off of so I say that’s probably his biggest thing. You try your best to get your head around to the ball or be ahead of them or just have great ball skills yourself, too. Just try to get your head around the best you can and make a play on the ball yourself.”
Johnson says that he was well-prepared for the matchup and had an idea of what was coming on the play he intercepted McCord.
“I had an idea of what the play might have been, what they might have run, that he was probably going to run that slant,” Johnson said. “So really just trying to bait him into it a little bit. And not let him know that I knew it was coming, but jump it once I saw it. After that, the ball just was right there when I saw it and tried to score.
But with the matchup with Harrison and the Buckeyes in the past, all of Michigan’s focus now is on healing and preparing for the championship run.
“We were all very high on it on Saturday,” Johnson said. “After the game, Sunday came right back in and got to work getting our bodies right. Monday we got back in the film room and it was on to Iowa. It was a great win, great for the program, great for our team, but now it’s on to Iowa and winning the Big Ten Championship. Still got goals ahead of us.”
