Ron Johnson, Jr., Ex-Wolverine
Redshirt junior defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr. has entered the transfer portal and will not return to Michigan.
Johnson was a member of the 2016 recruiting class and signed with the Wolverines out of Camden (NJ) Camden, along with wide receiver/safety Brad Hawkins (who then took a prep year). He was a Semper Fidelis All-American and I gave Johnson a TTB Rating of 83 (LINK).
However, Johnson has been languishing somewhere in the 70s of the last few season countdowns, and there just hasn’t been much progress. He bulked up to play some 3-technique defensive tackle at one point, but he transitioned back to defensive end without a noticeable move upward on the depth chart at either spot. He played one game as a true freshman and did not see the field in either 2017 or 2018. He was not expected to play a significant role in 2019, so this loss opens up a scholarship for a transfer or a walk-on.
Michigan now has just 83 scholarship players slated to be on the roster in 2019 (LINK). Not counting Hawkins (who signed again in 2017), Michigan is down to just 14 out of 28 players who signed with the Wolverines in that 2016 class.