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2018 Season Countdown: #75 Ron Johnson, Jr.

Ron Johnson, Jr.

Name: Ron Johnson, Jr.
Height:

6’4″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Camden (NJ) Camden
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked Johnson #71 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). Johnson did not see game action.

Johnson had an opening for playing time in 2017 when Taco Charlton and Chris Wormley had graduated, elevating Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary to bigger roles. Johnson was never going to pass either of those guys, but at least there were some backup snaps available. But Johnson continued to be invisible, which was expected after he spent part of the spring playing defensive tackle due to a lack of bodies.

I’m expecting more of the same in 2018. Johnson has not generated any buzz in the off-season, and everybody returns in his position group. Winovich has one more year, and Gary could jump to the NFL after 2018, too. Maybe things will open up a little bit in 2019, but for now, Johnson will probably be a little used backup, at best. On the plus side, he has earned Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week honors three times during his two years on campus, so he obviously holds some value as a practice player.

Prediction:

Backup defensive end

2018 Season Countdown: #76 Kurt Taylor

Kurt Taylor (image via Twitter)

Name: Kurt Taylor
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 194 lbs.
High school: Covington (GA) Newton/Loganville (GA) Grayson
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Taylor #79 and said he would be a backup with 5 carries for 20 yards (LINK). He redshirted.

There wasn’t a lot of room for spare carries last season, because Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, and Ty Isaac were all expected to carry the load – and on top of them, there was heralded recruit Kareem Walker. Michigan brought in two running backs in the 2017 class, and while Taylor was bigger and stronger, the scant freshman carries went to O’Maury Samuels, not Taylor.

Now it’s 2018 and there are 108 tailback carries vacated by Isaac (graduated) and Walker (transferred). Where will those carries go? When asked about the tailback position group in the spring, Jim Harbaugh mentioned walk-on running back Tru Wilson at #3. Whether that sticks or not remains to be seen, but Taylor still seems to be an afterthought. Wilson, Samuels, and one of the freshmen will probably get carries, but I don’t see much of the load going in Taylor’s direction. If he can develop into the team’s best pass blocker, then I think he might have a chance to get on the field, but he’s perhaps the least athletic runner in the group.

Prediction:

Backup running back

Quinten Johnson, Wolverine

Quinten Johnson (#11, image via SENTelevision)

Washington (DC) St. John’s safety Quinten Johnson committed to Michigan on Tuesday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, and Penn State, among others.

Johnson is listed at 5’11”, 190 lbs. He claims a 4.48 forty, a 4.17 shuttle, and a 35″ vertical.

RANKINGS

ESPN: 3-star, 79 grade, #38 S
Rivals: 3-star, #24 S
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #37 S, #486 overall

Hit the jump for more on Johnson’s commitment.

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Denver Warren, Wolverine

Aurora (IL) West defensive tackle Denver Warren committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others.

Warren is listed as a 6’2″, 318-pounder. He claims a 5.23 forty, a 28″ vertical, a 325 lb. bench, and a 545 lb. squat. As a sophomore in 2017, he made 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

RANKINGS
ESPN: N/A
Rivals: 4-star, #15 DT, #213 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #21 DT, #284 overall

Hit the jump for more.

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Way Too Early 2019 Depth Chart: July 2018

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I usually don’t post projected depth charts this early, but a recent comment inspired my thinking about the 2019 season. I’ll grant that it’s extremely early and lots of things will change between now and the 2019 season opener, but it’s fun to think about the future, nevertheless.

NOTE: All players whose eligibility will not expire are considered for the depth chart, so potential early NFL draft entrants (Rashan Gary, Shea Patterson, etc.) still appear on this chart.

Hit the jump for an early look at 2019.

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