Johnson will bring high potential up North
In the weeks leading up to National Signing Day 2015, most expected Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic defensive end Shelton Johnson to stick with one of his home-state schools. Virginia Tech (where several family members, including his cousin and high school coach TJ Jackson, played), NC State, and Michigan were thought to be looking up at Sunshine State powers Florida State and Miami.
The narrative changed just days before National Letters of Intent started to come in, however. A groundswell of momentum behind the Wolverines cropped up, and when the hour came, Johnson signed to attend U-M. It may have been surprising from an outsider's perspective, but according to Sun-Sentinel sports reporter Ryan S. Clark, the Maize and Blue never should have been counted out of the hunt in the first place.
Advertisement
"I had a feeling it was Michigan," Clark said. "It was just because, when they came down they offered, you look at the quickness with which he said, 'OK I want to get on a plane and take my official.' This was a kid that Virginia Tech, NC State, Mississippi State had been interested. Florida State and Miami had been there all year, and at one point FSU was considered the favorite.
"My personal thinking was that when Michigan came in, that became the favorite. I know for a lot of Michigan fans, because the way the program has been the last few years, there wasn't the internal luster. To kids down here, 'It is Michigan:' it's such a big deal. I think people kind of underestimate the fact that just because you're from South Florida doesn't mean you want to stay in Florida. You say, 'why would you want to go there?' but kids are always looking to leave South Florida. There was just so much in place to say Michigan, really."
Despite the Wolverines' struggled on the gridiron over the past seven years, there's still appeal for prospects from around the country to play in the winged helmet. That should pay dividends with a new coaching staff, given the national focus that Jim Harbaugh and his assistants have already taken on the recruiting trail.
In the 2015 class alone, they added eight prospects to the Wolverines' class that hadn't been pledges under the previous regime. Three of them (including Johnson) came from Florida, with one each from Alabama, New Mexico, and New York. Only two - Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice wide receiver Grant Perry and West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West offensive lineman Nolan Ulizio - came from the Midwest.
The Block-M still carries weight around the country for football prospects. In Johnson's particular case, the weight it carries in academic circles played a big role in his recruitment, as well. U-M recently earned a ranking as the top public school in the nation, and for the aspiring engineer, that was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Another little-known thing is that he actually wants to major in Engineering," Clark explained. "When you look at how great Michigan is academically - probably next to Berkeley, it's the best public school in the nation - that probably helped, too."
So what has Michigan won with a pledge from Johnson? The 6-5, 225-pounder has a meager three-star rating, and was considered the No. 37 player at the weakside defensive end position, and the No. 100 senior in Florida. That may not turn many heads from a star-gazer perspective, but it certainly caught the attention of college coaches.
In addition to his finalists, U-M beat out Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, and South Carolina for Johnson's services. That's an impressive offer list, and one that may be more indicative of his potential than a three-star ranking.
"The thing with him is a little bit of a mystery," Clark said. "When you look at his height - 6-5, and I believe he weighs 221 - there's definitely a frame to work with. I think people just wanted to see a little bit more from him. Prior to his senior season, Atlantic had been a program that had talent, but they struggled. This year, they finally put it together, and he was a huge part of that.
"I would say he was their best player. He wasn't someone that was really loud and in everyone's face - he's very much a quiet personality, and at Atlantic it was needed there. I saw six or seven games, and every game I saw him in, it felt like he had seven or eight tackles. It felt like at minimum he had two sacks. He was in on punt blocks, fumbles. Any big play Atlantic had, some way shape or form, he found a way to influence it."
The Eagles put together a 9-3 record and fell in the Round of 16 in Florida's 7A (second-largest) Division. Johnson's statistical output as a senior played a huge role for Atlantic. He made 104 tackle, with 25 of them sacks, and added an additional 15 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. Although he entered the year as the 20th-best player in the Sun-Sentinel's high school rankings, he finished it as their defensive player of the year.
"For people down here who are very much into the recruiting scene, they could kind of see the raw talent, it was just a matter of how it would fit into a system. This year, we saw that. He played as a down lineman, and here in South Florida there's so much talk about everyone trying to find that hybrid who can play D-end and linebacker. I don't know if he can play linebacker, but he got the job done very, very well. There's probably a little bit of mystery, but that being said, he had that many schools after him, so there's not too many questions."
Natural physical maturation may be the only thing standing between Johnson and a standout career as a Wolverine. Johnson's natural size is already known, but putting on the
"I think the length first of all helps, because any quarterback that was trying to throw over the top of him knew that they had to angle their passes a little bit because his arms are really long," Clark said. "I also think the fact that he can get to the ball quickly - whether it was a quarterback trying to get outside of the pocket and create something, or a running back outside - he just found ways to get to people.
"I think the other thing that helped him too was I know people think 6-5, 221-pounds is big, but in some minds it's not. With him, there's weight, but it's not as much muscle as most might anticipate. Even then, he was able to get past the offensive linemen. He was able to get to the ball as quick as you can for a defensive end, and he just found a way to get involved in everything.
"I think maybe just putting on the weight will be big, and then for any kid coming from high school - I don't care what conference you play in, what state you play in - any time you go to a conference like the Big Ten, there's going to be an adjustment period. From everyone I've talked to, in that coaching staff and everywhere else, you don't hear, 'he's a kid who doesn't listen,' you don't hear, 'he doesn't want to work.' I've heard the complete opposite: he does listen, he does want to get better, he does want to work."
With the coaching he's sure to get at Michigan, there's little worry about his development. Defensive line coach Greg Mattison is a veteran of the coaching profession, including time with the Baltimore Ravens (and most recently, the defensive coordinator under Michigan's previous coaching staff). Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin spent four years at Florida, during which time the Gators cranked out NFL Draft picks on the defensive side of the ball.
Those coaches are known for coaching up talented prospects who simply need development, and in that regard, they may just have a gem in Johnson.
Click Here to view this Link.
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
Bring TheWolverine.com to your mobile platform. Download the app for either the iPhone or Android platforms.
Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @JB_Wolverine, @Balas_Wolverine, @Spath_Wolverine, @TimS_Wolverine, and @BSB_wolverine
Share this story: