Tag: Ex-Wolverines

Ron Johnson, Jr., Ex-Wolverine

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.

Ex-Wolverines in the 2019 NFL Draft

In keeping up with the NFL Draft, it was impossible to miss when a couple former Michigan commits came off the board. The Wolverines lost two running back commits in the 2015 class, and both of them were drafted – while Michigan’s signees at the position (Karan Higdon, Chris Evans) went undrafted and got suspended, respectively.

Hit the jump for a rundown of former Michigan commits and players who were involved in the draft this past weekend.

Myles Sims, Ex-Wolverine

Rising redshirt freshman cornerback Myles Sims has entered the transfer portal, which likely means he will not be returning to the Wolverines.

Sims committed to Michigan in April of 2017 (LINK) and was an Under Armour All-American in the 2018 class (LINK). He ended up as a 4-star, the #17 cornerback, and #170 overall.

Hit the jump for more.

Kalil Branham, Ex-Wolverine

Columbus (OH) Northland wide receiver Kalil Branham decommitted from Michigan on Saturday. He had been committed to Michigan since last June (LINK). He’s currently ranked as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #64 wide receiver, and #342 overall.

Hit the jump for more.

Amauri Pesek-Hickson, Ex-Wolverine

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Leawood (KS) Blue Valley North LB Amauri Pesek-Hickson

Leawood (KS) Blue Valley North linebacker Amauri Pesek-Hickson decommitted from Michigan on Monday:

Psalm 62:1-2 “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN.” pic.twitter.com/aMJAL8Hvyg

— Mauri? (@amaurihickson) February 4, 2019

Pesek-Hickson is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #44 athlete, and #743 overall. He explained that Michigan is tight on numbers right now and wants to get defensive end and defensive tackle grad transfers, meaning they no longer have room for him to sign his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday. Michigan is pursuing Rice defensive tackle Zach Abercrumbia and Central Michigan defensive end Mike Hanna.

He did leave open the possibility of going to prep school, though he stressed that academics are not an issue. It’s not a great sign that his academics appear to be in order (he reported a 30 on the ACT) and Michigan wants him to go the prep school route, but Pesek-Hickson’s only other reported offer comes from Missouri State, so options might be somewhat limited. Michigan has had a couple players attempt to go the prep school route in recent years, with Brad Hawkins waiting from 2016 to 2017 to join the program, while linebacker Dytarious Johnson eventually ended up at Eastern Illinois.

Michigan now has 26 commits in the 2019 class, and no more commitments are expected from high schoolers. While Pesek-Hickson was likely to play linebacker, he had the versatility to play a few different positions. Michigan still has several linebackers in the class, including Anthony Solomon, Charles Thomas, and Joey Velazquez, not to mention Daxton Hill and Quinten Johnson, who could both play Viper. The team currently has 86 scholarship players slated to be on the roster in 2019 (LINK), so some things will have to fall into place in order to fit all the 2019 signees and any potential transfers.