From The Road: Thoughts, notes on On300 Michigan RB commit Donovan Johnson
*** I spent the afternoon in Savannah, Georgia and had a chance to see On300 Michigan running back commit Donovan Johnson live for the first time. I obviously met with Johnson during the spring evaluation period, but he wasn’t fully cleared until a little later in May. Johnson has spent the last month and a half bouncing back and forth between Atlanta and Savannah. While in Atlanta, Johnson worked with a private running backs coach and had the opportunity to train alongside guys like Atlanta Falcons rookie Jase McClellan. While in Savannah, Johnson did speed and drill work with his father Derrick, who is a personal trainer and has coached up his son since he was old enough to walk.
*** Johnson tore his ACL in May of 2023, so it’s been a long road to recovery. However, Johnson definitely looked the part going through drills today. I told him after the workout that I really couldn’t tell which leg suffered the injury. Johnson flashed his elite talent when going through the ladder. His foot speed at his size is fantastic. Right now, Johnson is 6-foot-1, 213 pounds with a muscular build in his upper half. He could easily play at 225 pounds as a senior now that his rehab is done, and he can fill out his lower half. Johnson is continuing to get comfortable with changing directions, but barring any setbacks, he should be 100 percent ready for IMG’s opener next month.
*** The capability to be explosive is definitely apparent when watching Johnson move around. Again, I still think he’s getting adjusted to being back in action, but when everything clicks, it’s really eye opening. Remember, Johnson was a Junior Olympian growing up and ran 10.6-8 in the 100 meter regularly as a 15-year-old. There is a reason Johnson was considered one of the top football recruits in the country as a freshman, with some services projecting him to be a five-star level talent. Johnson hasn’t played football in a while, so it’s tough to give him a current ranking, but if he returns to form this fall and performs against IMG’s gauntlet of a schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him really skyrocket back up the rankings.
*** Some Michigan fans have asked if Johnson will waver if SEC schools push during his senior season. Something that Johnson and his family reiterated to me is that they really value loyalty. New Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford recruited Johnson as an underclassman and never backed off — even when Johnson tore his ACL. Alford made him a top priority soon after arriving at Michigan, which paved the way for Johnson to give the Wolverines a verbal pledge last month. The connection with Alford is a special one, and I feel like Johnson will stick with U-M no matter what. He’s also a culture fit. Johnson has a really magnetic personality and is a smart kid as well. Aside from playing football, he loves to golf, read and draw. In fact, he plans to study architecture at U-M.
*** Donovan reminds me of another guy named Donovan. Everybody knows how close I was to Michigan star running back Donovan Edwards during his recruiting process. Johnson is very similar and will be a fan favorite with time. It’s not surprising that Edwards and Johnson connected during the latter’s recent visit. Edwards and Johnson have remained in contact, with Edwards serving as a bit of a mentor early on. It’s great to see Edwards taking on an ambassador role with a recruit. Like Edwards, Johnson can also be that explosive, home run hitting back in Ann Arbor.
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