Baltimore (MD) St. Frances LB Nikhai Hill-Green (image via 247 Sports)
Baltimore (MD) St. Frances linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green committed to Michigan on Thursday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Nebraska, Pitt, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others.
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.
Name: Trente Jones Height: 6’5″ Weight; 302 lbs. High school: Loganville (GA) Grayson Position: Offensive tackle Class: Freshman Jersey number: N/A Last year: Jones was a senior in high school (LINK). He had 69 pancake blocks as a senior. TTB Rating: N/A
Jones is a bit of a rarity for Michigan – a touted prospect from an elite program in the South. Jones comes from Loganville (GA) Grayson, which produces star players every year. There are some hard feelings in the area that Grayson poaches a lot of good players from nearby schools. But they play against good programs and hold their own against powerhouses from other parts of the country.
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This year Jones should not be a factor in Michigan’s rotation, despite being an Under Armour All-American. Jon Runyan, Jr. will start at one tackle, and the other tackle spot is a battle between Andrew Stueber and Jalen Mayfield. Jones needs a year or two in the weight room, so that works out well for the program overall, but I do think he will be a good player down the road.
Ja’Khi Douglas – WR – Houma (LA) Terrebonne: Douglas is a 5’9″, 187 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Florida State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #33 wide receiver, and #180 overall. He’s built a little bit like a running back, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play in the backfield a little bit when he gets to college. He claims a 4.48 forty, a 4.51 shuttle, and a 37″ vertical.
Kyle Edwards – RB – Destrehan (LA) Destrehan: Edwards is a 6’0″, 210-pounder with offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #34 running back, and #463 overall. He’s a burly running back who reminds me a little bit of former Michigan back Thomas Rawls.
Montra Edwards – DT – Lexington (MS) Holmes Central: Edwards is a 6’2″, 282-pounder, and with those measurements, I can’t help thinking of Maurice Hurst, Jr. He’s a 3-star, the #62 defensive tackle, and #785 overall. His stat line of 102 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks as a junior is also pretty impressive, if not unbelievable.
