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Michigan Wolverines Football Signee Bio: Wide Receiver George Johnson

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Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George Johnson chose Michigan over  Florida State, Georgia and Nebraska, among others.
Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George Johnson chose Michigan over Florida State, Georgia and Nebraska, among others. (George Johnson III)
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Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George Johnson is officially part of the Michigan football program.

Statistics

• In 2018, he completed 51.8 percent of his passes for 1,174 passing yards and 10 scores through the air, with 442 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, plus five catches for 102 yards and one TD receiving.

• In 2017, he threw for 1,366 and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 526 yards and seven scores.

• In 2016, he completed 18-of-34 passes (52.9 percent) for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while reeling in 59 receptions for 1,173 yards and nine scores, to go along with two rushing TDs.

• In 2015, Johnson started all 12 games at quarterback, throwing for 1,280 yards and rushing for 600.

Honors

• Three-time all-state honoree, landing on the first-team squad in 2018 and 2017, and the second-team unit in 2016.

• Pegged to the No. 1 spot on the 2018-19 TCPalm Super 11 (an annual list of the top recruited seniors on the Treasure Coast) on Dec. 16, 2018.

• Tabbed as the Treasure Coast Male Athlete of the Year on May 23, 2018.

• TCPalm All-Area first-teamer in 2017 and 2016.

• Associated Press Class 7A All-State second-team honoree in 2016.

• FloridaHSFootball.com Class 7A All-State first-teamer in 2016.

• TCPalm All-Area honorable mention in 2015.

Recruitment

• Pledged to Michigan on June 25, 2018, after taking his official visit to Ann Arbor on June 22.

• Chose the Wolverines over notable offers from Florida State, Georgia and Nebraska.

• Former wide receviers coach Jim McElwain headed his recruitment. He actually recruited Johnson while he was the head coach at Florida and continued doing so once he transitioned to Michigan.

Since McElwain's departure for CMU, Johnson has kept the closest contact with defensive coordinator Don Brown and interim wide receivers coach Ben McDaniels.

Did You Know?

• Measured in at 5-11, 180, at The Nike Opening regional camp in Miami on Feb. 18, 2018. He also ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.32 seconds, recorded a 37-foot throw in the power ball and a 32.2-inch vertical jump.

• Martin County set up a defensive position for him in the last game of the year against Jensen Beach, which he described as a middle linebacker/high safety mix — it was the only game in 2018 where he played defense.

• Participated in four years of varsity basketball at Martin County.

• Cousin, Corey McIntyre, played at West Virginia and spent time with five different NFL teams from 2002-12.

• First player in his family to be heavily recruited.

• While on a visit to Michigan with a group of recruits, Johnson ran off by himself and practiced routes into the end zone, envisioning what it would be like doing so down the road.

• Bill Cubit — who was the head man at Illinois in 2015 — coached him during the 2017 campaign.

They Said It

Rivals.com Florida recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy: "Where he ends up playing will determine how successful he is. It doesn't look like he'll play quarterback at Michigan, which is where he played in high school, so he's a little tougher to figure out.

"He's the kind of guy that you plug in wherever you can. He has the ability to play running back, wide receiver and even on the defensive side of the ball. You like that versatility, but the knock on him is that he doesn't really have a natural position. He's the kind of guy you get in camp and figure out the rest later because he's such a high-level athlete."

Martin County head coach Rodney Harris: "George is a true student-athlete at Martin County High School with a GPA over 3.0 and is a four-year varsity athlete. He projects as a wide receiver at Michigan with great strength, hands, quickness and big-play ability.

"While at Martin County, the lights were never too bright for George as he rose to the occasion every Friday night. His gregarious personality is evident the moment he walks into a room, and he is determined to help the Wolverines beat Ohio State. Michigan is truly getting a wonderful young man."

2019 Projection

When Michigan kicks things off in 2019, the wide receiver room will be full of talent in juniors Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, and redshirt sophomores Tarik Black and Oliver Martin.

Ronnie Bell was the lone signee from the 2018 class, and will likely make a significant impact next year as a sophomore after he hauled in eight catches for 145 yards and two scores in 2018 as a rookie.

Johnson will probably enter behind all five of the aforementioned players on the depth chart next season, but could be asked to contribute right away if one of them goes down with injury.

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