It’s been exciting to watch Michigan football add new players over the past two days, and the momentum continued on Saturday morning with the commitment of former UNLV cornerback Ricky Johnson.
Initially committed to Washington State, Johnson switched to Michigan after visiting on Friday. The Wolverines secured the 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback’s commitment.
Johnson has appeared in 27 career games, with limited play in 2022 and 2020, leaving him with two years of eligibility. He has recorded four career interceptions and seven pass breakups.
For Michigan, Johnson provides valuable depth. He brings experience, having started multiple seasons for UNLV, similar to Aamir Hall, a former FCS All-American cornerback from Albany.
While Johnson isn’t a top-ranked recruit, his addition bolsters Michigan’s secondary depth. Outside of the loss of Rod Moore, Michigan didn’t need a new starter, just quality depth, which they achieved.
**Position Predictions:**
Either Jaden Mangham or Wesley Walker could start at safety, with Mangham likely to fill Rod Moore’s shoes. Walker might be best suited for the nickel position, where he excels in coverage. Keon Sabb also played in the slot in dime packages, where Walker could also thrive.
Michigan plans to utilize a lot of sub-package defense, requiring defensive backs who can cover and tackle—Walker fits this role perfectly.
The safety lineup of Makari Paige, Mangham, Walker, and Quentin Johnson is strong, with over 2,000 snaps played last season and two All-Big Ten honorees. At cornerback, there’s Will Johnson, Jyaire Hill, Aamir Hall, and Ricky Johnson, plus Myles Pollard, Kody Jones, Zeke Berry, and Ja’Den McBurrows at nickel. Berry and McBurrows offer flexibility to play both safety and perimeter corner.
This depth is crucial for the secondary, preventing reliance on young players to fill roles.
While the depth across all three levels of the defense isn’t perfect, it’s much closer to last season’s strength than it was three days ago.
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