Reuben Jones (#4) and Shelton Johnson (image via Maize and Blue News)
Name: Shelton Johnson
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Delray Beach (FL) Atlantic
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
jersey number: #7
Last year: I ranked Johnson #65 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He redshirted.
Johnson is and has been a bit of a strange case so far. Last year he was listed at 225 lbs. coming out of high school, which is thin but not unheard of for a true freshman defensive end who’s in the process of filling out his body. This spring Johnson was listed at . . . 212 lbs. He either lost 13 lbs. of fat from his skinny body, or his weight was exaggerated as a recruit. (The latter is the most likely and why I rarely put much faith in listed weights in high school.)
I admit this ranking is based on high school film, not on anything I’ve seen or heard in the last several months. Johnson offers some speed and athleticism off the edge that most other guys on the roster don’t. He’s not in any danger of becoming a full-time player this year or even a primary backup, but he could be a situational guy since Don Brown likes to put in exotic blitzes with speed coming after the quarterback.
Prediction: Backup defensive end
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Too many LB/DE tweeners that the coaches don’t seem to know what to do with, and that take 3-4 years to contribute at a high level, if then. Can’t afford so many unproductive guys if we’re going to be an elite program. We need some of these guys we take a flyer on to actually break out as big stars by their second year..that’s what the Alabamas and Ohio States of the world are doing.
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Let’s not forget, the staff had a month to go from NFL to salvaging a program. This entire class –top 30, I believe — isn’t too bad considering the mess of 2014 left by Brandon/Hoke.
2016 was more indicative of what we should expect, and 2017 is shaping up that same way. Just imagine when we start winning big again!
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Hoke left a team that went 11-2. The cupboard was far from bare. There were holes to be sure on offense, but the defense was pretty loaded with talent.
Put another way – the Harbaugh recruits didn’t contribute much last year and this year won’t be much different.
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Who played Hoke’s 2011 squad, and was left on last year’s?
That 11 win season was fun after RR, but we went right back to 2009-10 level performance & results shortly after — a mess, as stated earlier
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I meant last year’s 10-3 team. Forgot about Utah for a minute.
Hoke deserves credit for Lewis, Clark, Stribling, Wilson, Thomas, Hill, Peppers, Wormley, Glasgow, Henry, Charlton, Ojemudia and all the rest.
Harbaugh had to make due with a mediocre offense personnel, but the defense was loaded.
It’s too soon to judge the 2016 class of course, but if the defensive recruiting matches Hoke’s that would be very good for Michigan.
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Like Craigh Roh? Frank Clark? Mario Ojemudia? Taco Charlton?
Michigan’s been getting contributions from freshman pretty regularly, but even if they hadn’t all the coaching turnover is more than enough to explain it.
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The fact that those guys got playing time as freshmen is all well and good, but Roh and Ojemudia topped out at the level of decent, but not that great. We got one real quality year out of four with Clark, and hopefully we’ll get that with Charlton. None of those guys went into their second or third year on the field as solid all-conference projections, though.
Compare that to a guy like Sam Hubbard…3 star recruit as a 6-6 225 LB, and now a consensus pre-season All-conference pick at DE as a RS sophomore. If Harbaugh is going to go after so many low rated recruits, at least SOME of them have to develop that way, or we’ll be looking up at OSU for a long time yet.
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Lol.
So, you’re complaining that a redshirt freshman from a coaching change recruiting class is only cracking Thunder’s list at 63 which means he’s third string at a position loaded with upperclass veterans not to mention the consensus top rated incoming freshmen in the nation.
We have a sophomore threatening to start at LT, a redshirt freshman likely to be our starting in line blocking TE, another sophomore likely to be our starting slot. Kinnel will get minutes that matter somewhere in a defensive backfield with seniors all over the place plus Julius Peppers.
There are a minimum of 11/12 seniors (some with redshirt years left) and redshirt seniors going to contribute to what is likely to be an exceptional defense. It is a wonderful thing that Johnston ain’t getting into the game. This is true of just about every freshman and sophomore on the roster regardless of position with the exception of Rashan Gary and then maybe Gentry, Washington, Bush, Long, Hudson and Mbem-Bosse in that order. Then even more maybe Bredeson.
This defense got their asses kicked when they were freshmen and sophomores. People around here were crying about how bad our defense sucked. Of course it sucked, we were way young. Last year, what was for the most part the same guys that were previously sucking, “developed” into studs. We have studs all around, ain’t no room for kids this year.
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A position “loaded with upperclass veterans”? LOL
Exactly what position would that be? DE? At 225, he’s competing for the same spot as Charlton, Wormley and Gary? Seriously, dude?
And no, Newsome is not “threatening” to start at LT, because there is no one to “threaten”. Cole had to move to C because Drevno couldn’t do squat with Kugler, and there is no one else remotely qualified at either position.
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Is Johnston not listed at DE? Did you not name 3 stud senior DEs?
And as an aside, thanks for making my point.
Cole moved to Center because he most likely is a Center. He had been at LT because there hadn’t been anyone else to play that position. There is now Newsome.
Are you suggesting Drevno its doing a poor job with Kugler or in general?
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My bad, two stud senior DEs and the #1 recruit in the land.
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This is not a real coherent argument. You’re complaining simultaneously about the top end talent and about getting contributions from young players. If you develop good players, the younger players behind them will generally sit the bench. Hoke had a 2nd round pick, developed Beyer into an NFL player and recruited NFL caliber players that Durkin used at DE: Henry, Wormley, and Charlton. Those are NFL-talents that contributed when they were young.
You can pick at Hoke’s recruiting at WDE (besides Clark) I guess but Ojemudia turned into a quality starter, Charlton looks like an NFL player, and Marshall and Winovich have plenty of time to prove themselves yet. What exactly are we complaing about here – that Hoke didn’t land Hand? That Ojemudia wasn’t Jadeveon Clowney?
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Too high. Johnson faces an uphill battle just to stay on the team. It’s highly highly highly unlikely he contributes this season. I loved Johnson’s potential as a recruit but things don’t seem to be working out in AA.
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FWIW, Mattison reported Johnson was at 229lbs as of this year’s Spring practice. Still mentioned his need to add weight & strength.
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