Tag: Cornelius Johnson

2022 Season Countdown: #13 Cornelius Johnson

Name: Cornelius Johnson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 208 lbs.
High school: Greenwich (CT) Brunswick
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #6
Last year: I ranked Johnson #14 and said he would be a starting wide receiver with 35 catches for 540 yards and 5 touchdowns (LINK). He started all fourteen games and made 39 catches for 620 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 87

Johnson signed with Michigan in 2019 looking the part of a pro-ready player. He was known for being mature and focused, and nothing that has happened since has detracted from that. He was also a good route runner with some sneaky speed, and that continues to be the case. Against Northern Illinois in week three last season, he caught the third longest pass in Michigan history, going 87 yards for a touchdown. After three seasons on campus, he now has three 100+ yard games against NIU (2021), Indiana (2021), and Rutgers (2020).

Johnson looks the part of a future pro at 6’3″ and over 200 pounds. He looks like the prototype that used to roll through Michigan regularly from the 1990s through the early 2000s. So despite the depth of Michigan’s receiver room, I have him pushed up here at #13 because he’s the only proven guy on the roster who looks and plays like a guy with speed who has a good catch radius. Darrius Clemson has been earning rave reviews as a freshman, and redshirt freshman Cristian Dixon has the size but not the athleticism. But Johnson can go deep, run intermediate routes, and even catch some screens or grab some end arounds or reverses to keep defenses honest. He seems to be a favorite of quarterback Cade McNamara and should have another good season in 2022. The only thing holding me back from predicting an uptick in usage is the fact that Ronnie Bell returns from injury and should soak up some targets.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 36 catches for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns

Michigan’s Top Seven 2023 NFL Draft Prospects

The following players (listed in alphabetical order) are Michigan’s best bets, in my opinion, to be drafted in 2023. Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan teams have produced 6.3 NFL draft picks per class during his tenure, so it’s a good bet that Michigan gets around this number of players to be selected.

TE Erick All
Senior Erick All was reportedly considering leaving the NFL after the 2021 season, but he decided to return. After a 2020 season in which he struggled with drops, he turned into a reliable target with 38 catches (second on the team) for 437 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a game-winning catch-and-run against Penn State. All is a solid blocker with good speed and run-after-catch ability, and he has a lithe 6’4″, 245 lb. frame. He probably won’t be first round material, but he could be a day two or three pick.

Hit the jump for more.

Review of 2021 Season Predictions

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Now’s your chance to lambaste me for my idiocy, so you can go check out my season predictions if you want (LINK).

LEADING RUSHER
Season prediction: Hassan Haskins, 900 yards
Actual: Hassan Haskins, 1327 yards
Scoop: I thought Michigan might spread the ball around a little more – and I did not expect Haskins to get 270 carries – but Haskins got a big boost in production when Blake Corum injured his ankle. Haskins notched 27, 31, 20, and 28 carries in the wake of Corum’s injury before the latter returned healthy. The last time any running back topped 270 carries in a season was Mike Hart, who had 318 attempts in 2006.

LEADING RECEIVER
Season prediction: Ronnie Bell, 800 yards
Actual: Cornelius Johnson, 620 yards
Scoop: Bell got hurt in the first game of 2021, tearing his ACL on a punt return. He had 1 catch for a 76-yard touchdown at that point. After a two-year run as Michigan’s leading receiver, it was time for a new king, and that new king was 6’3″, 210 lb. Cornelius Johnson. Johnson made 39 catches for 620 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Hit the jump for more.

2021 Orange Bowl Preview: Pass Offense vs. Georgia Pass Defense

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MICHIGAN
The Wolverines are smack dab in the middle of the pack at #67 in passing offense (226 yards/game) and they’re #40 in passing efficiency. Meanwhile, they’re #86 in passing attempts with just 359 on the season. Starting quarterback Cade McNamara has completed 199/308 (64.6%) of his throws for 2,470 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. McNamara does not have a particularly strong arm, but he has done a good job of deciphering defenses and keeping the ball out of harm’s way.

The offensive line has allowed just 0.77 sacks per game. Just like in the run game, they don’t have a ton of great players up front, but they play well together. Some stunts and games inside confused the group early in the year, but they seem to have righted the ship as the season went along.

On the receiving end, ten different players have caught touchdowns . . . and no one has caught more than 3. It’s hard to predict from week to week who might step up and make a big play, but the two primary targets have been wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (37 catches, 620 yards, 3 TD) and tight end Erick All (34 catches, 374 yards, 2 TD). However, the two biggest yardage games have come from true freshman running back Donovan Edwards (10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD vs. Maryland) and freshman wide receiver Andrel Anthony (3 catches, 155 yards, 2 TD vs. Michigan State).

Hit the jump for more.

2021 Michigan vs. Wisconsin Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Cornelius Johnson. Johnson caught 2 passes for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s averaging 24.5 yards per catch, and that’s mostly against the starters. (Daylen Baldwin is averaging 25.8, but that has largely come late in blowout wins.) But through five games, he has just 10 receptions overall, or 2 per game, in other words. A receiver of his caliber should be getting more touches.

Hit the jump for more.