Michigan football already has one running back in the 2025 class in three-star Jasper Parker, but it appears the team is inching closer to landing another player.
A number of schools have expressed interest in recruiting four-star 2025 recruit Jordan Davison from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, including the University of Michigan, but the Wolverines also brought in four-star tailback Donovan Johnson from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy in a midweek deal last week.
Michigan appears to have made a big move with Johnson, leading some to speculate that he will ultimately opt for the winged helmet, a prediction backed up by Tony Alford, who tweeted an eyeball emoji on Saturday afternoon.
Johnson got his 247Sports Crystal Ball from Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb and three predictions from EJ Holland, Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons on On3.
Here is how Johnson is rated by recruiting services:
|
Performer |
over- |
position |
state |
|
|
247 Sports Composite |
Four |
232 |
16 |
34 |
|
On3 Industry Rankings |
Four |
239 |
15 |
33 |
|
247Sports |
3 |
– |
30 |
53 |
|
On 3 |
Four |
242 |
19 |
40 |
|
rival |
Four |
one two three |
8 |
15 |
|
ESPN |
Four |
– |
19 |
37 |
Johnson was rated much higher, but a knee injury that forced him to miss his entire junior season caused his ranking to drop. He was once ranked 46th overall by 247Sports.
Here’s his scouting report from On3:
He is a physically gifted running back with top class size and speed. He was over 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds before his junior season. He was listed as an elite athlete at the combine. He has been involved in track and field since high school and participated in AAU national championships. He started his career at Calvary Day in Savannah, Georgia before transferring to IMG Academy before his junior season. He has shown glimpses of high-end athleticism on the field. He is a fast and explosive player with visible explosiveness. He has the speed to pull away when he gets in open space. He has the strength and size to escape arm tackles. He shakes off defenders. He hasn’t played much meaningful football since transferring to IMG, which makes his evaluation unclear. He had limited carries as a sophomore and didn’t play until midway through his junior season. He will need to return to the field to continue his development and clarify his evaluation.
He also held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Louisiana State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire
