Tag: Nate Johnson

Visitors: June 11-13, 2021

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Daylen Baldwin – WR – Jackson State: Baldwin is a 6’3″, 210 lb. receiver who played high school ball in Michigan at Farmington and Waterford Mott. He made 27 catches for 540 yards (20.0 yards/catch) and 7 touchdowns this spring for Jackson State. He was offered on the visit.

2022

Beau Atkinson – DE – Raleigh (NC) Leesville Road: Atkinson is a 6’6″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Penn Stat,e and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #19 weakside end, and #386 overall. This is an official visit.

Tyler Banks – LB – Crewe (VA) Nottoway: Banks is a 6’1″, 215-pounder with offers from Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #88 athlete, and #1033 overall. This is an official visit.

Jacob Bostick – WR – Palatine (IL) Palatine: Bostick is a 6’3″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, and Pitt, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #81 wide receiver, and #602 overall.

Jayden Denegal – QB – Apple Valley (CA) Apple Valley: Denegal is a 6’4″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Michigan State, and Utah, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #19 quarterback, and #264 overall. He is taking an unofficial visit on June 9 and will out for the coaching staff in hopes of earning an offer.

Hit the jump for more.

Ex-Wolverine Player Updates: Post-2018 Recap

Keith Washington (#28, image via Zimbio)

At this point in Michigan’s program, along with the college football landscape, there are too many players to include in one post. There are at least 53 players who have either transferred or decommitted from Michigan in the last five full classes (2014-2018), plus the incomplete 2019 class. So I’m temporarily breaking up this concept into three separate posts, one for transfers, one for former commits, and one for coaches. It’s a lot easier to manage during the season when people are injured, redshirting, etc.

TRANSFERS

Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Asiasi was second on the depth chart at tight end behind Caleb Wilson, who was the team’s leading receiver. Asiasi himself made 6 catches for 130 yards (21.7 YPC) and 1 touchdown. UCLA went 3-9 and missed out on bowl eligibility.

Ian Bunting, TE (Cal): Bunting was Cal’s leading tight end, finishing with 18 catches for 195 yards (10.8 YPC) and 0 touchdowns. Cal went 7-6.

Freddy Canteen, WR (Tulane): Canteen – who had injuries at Michigan, transferred to Notre Dame, had more injuries at Notre Dame, and then transferred to Tulane – missed the 2018 season with yet another shoulder injury. His spate of injuries may allow him to apply for a sixth year of eligibility in 2019 if he wants to continue playing.

Brian Cole, S (Mississippi State): Cole played in the first five games of the season for Mississippi State until a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. During those five games, he made 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 10 kickoff returns for 225 yards (22.5 yards/return). Mississippi State went 8-4.

Hit the jump for more.

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2017 Season Countdown: #43 Nate Johnson

Nate Johnson (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Nate Johnson
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Thompson’s Station (TN) Independence
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #25
Last year: I ranked Johnson #94 and said he would redshirt. He played in three games, making 1 catch for 4 yards.
TTB Rating: 76

I don’t know why Nate Johnson didn’t redshirt last year. His deployment makes little to no sense. Late in the year – ensuring a burned redshirt – he caught 1 pass for 4 yards against Illinois, and that’s all he did. Now maybe keeping a fifth year in your back pocket for someone like Nate Johnson isn’t worth a great deal, but at least it would be an option in 2020 if both parties are interested.

I don’t trust Nate Johnson. I don’t like young guys returning punts, especially when they haven’t proven themselves as star players. Additionally, when we saw him in the spring game, he muffed a punt and fumbled a slant route. His hands and concentration are questionable, and yet, he appears to be the front-runner for the punt returning job. I could make an argument to rank him lower, and I can’t think of any reasons to place him higher. There are other guys on the roster who should be able to do just as good of a job, but maybe he’ll be lightning with the ball in his hands if we ever get a chance to see it. My guess is that if he starts the year as the punt returner, he won’t end it that way.

Prediction: Starting punt returner for part of the season; backup slot receiver

2016 Season Countdown: #94 Nate Johnson

Jim Harbaugh and Nate Johnson hit the dab at the in-home visit

Name: Nate Johnson
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Thompson’s Station (TN) Independence
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Johnson was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 87 passes for 1,713 yards and 27 TDs.
TTB Rating: 76

Johnson popped up on Michigan’s radar fairly late in the process. He was a Purdue commit for a while, flipped to the Wolverines, and then said he would make a final decision on National Signing Day after flirting with the prospect of going to Miami or Notre Dame. He signed with the Wolverines after a meeting with Jim Harbaugh in which he was assured that Michigan still wanted him; rumors existed that Miami and Notre Dame would no longer take him at that point. It was perhaps the strangest recruitment of any of Michigan’s signees. Anyway, Johnson was extremely productive as a high school senior, scoring 27 touchdowns and catching 87 passes. I’ve always been a part of run-oriented high school offenses, so the idea of putting up those numbers in high school boggles the mind.

Production aside, I don’t think Michigan needs to rely on Johnson this season. He’s tiny and bound for the slot receiver position, which Michigan does not utilize extremely often with all the tight ends and fullbacks and such. Grant Perry returns as Michigan’s incumbent slot, and both Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom are physically more prepared for college, though neither of them enrolled early. Johnson could help down the road as a punt returner, but again, that position already has some experience. This season should see him watching and learning, but there will be more opportunities next year after Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson graduate, allowing Crawford, McDoom, and Perry more opportunities to potentially play outside.

Prediction: Redshirt

Poll results: Which 2016 signee will have the best career at wide receiver?

Ahmir Mitchell

A few weeks ago, I started a poll asking which class of 2016 signee would end up having the best career at receiver. Here are the results of the poll:

Ahmir Mitchell: 39%
The 6’3″, 205 lb. Mitchell was the only early enrollee of the bunch. While he did show off good size and athleticism this spring, he reportedly continued to have issues catching the ball. Braylon Edwards had the same problem early in his career, so that is not a death knell, but it will be something to watch.

Eddie McDoom: 25%
McDoom was a late pull after he flipped from Oregon to Michigan in January. The Florida native can play outside, in the slot, or as a returner. He was an Under Armour All-American.

Kekoa Crawford: 20%
The U.S. Army All-American played well at the all-star game and is the highest rated player of the bunch. Like McDoom, he could also play inside or outside.

Nate Johnson: 8%
The 5’11”, 175-pounder is a pure slot player who might be able to return punts, too. He’s the lowest rated player of the bunch at #589 overall in the 2016 class.

Chris Evans: 5%
Evans was ranked as a running back by some services, but his future position is unclear. He could play running back, receiver, or cornerback at the next level.

Brad Hawkins, Jr.: 3%
I wouldn’t pick Hawkins, either, but it’s interesting that he got 3% of the vote when Evans, McDoom, and Johnson were all rated lower by the recruiting services. The 6’1″, 202 lb. Hawkins could also end up at safety, which maybe factored into the voting.

What was your reasoning behind your voting?