Michigan standout Will Johnson developing in 'national NIL brand'

Michigan standout defensive back Will Johnson is reaping the rewards of winning the national championship and returning for another season in Ann Arbor.

Johnson played an integral role in the Wolverines’ title, earning first-team All-America and consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors after recording four interceptions in 2023. He also earned Defensive Most Valuable Player recognition in the national championship game after making a game-changing interception in the second half.

Will Johnson enters the 2024 season as one of the best cornerbacks in college football and a projected high draft pick. In a recent list from CBS Sports, Johnson was named one of the top 20 players set to be available in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After last season and a successful freshman campaign in 2022, Johnson – a homegrown product from Grosse Point South High – is arguably the most recognizable face in the Wolverines program.

And that recognition has created a slew of NIL opportunities over the past few weeks.

In the past three days, Johnson announced new NIL deals with Rockin’ Protein, Feldman Chevrolet of Highland and University of Michigan Credit Union.

“Will Johnson is one of the faces of the Michigan program at the moment, and he’s extremely marketable,” said Clayton Sayfie, who covers Michigan football for The Wolverine.

“It’s no surprise companies are lining up to do deals with him coming off the type of season and national championship game he had. He’s now one of the leaders on the field and has helped keep the core group of Wolverines together through the coaching change this offseason. Johnson is a sure-fire All-American again this year and a likely first-round pick.”

Will Johnson a ‘national brand’

The new NIL deals aren’t the first for Will Johnson. He’s previously partnered with EA Sports, Wolverine Boots, eFuse and even hosted his youth football camp.

But with his success in the national championship game and his name rocketing up draft boards, experts in the NIL space believe he’s also developing a brand that could resonate on the national level.

“Will Johnson is the total package,” one sports agent who doesn’t work with Johnson told On3. “He’s got charisma. He’s got swagger, and he’s a dammed good player. Will’s also quickly building out his social game.

“I predict a lot of top companies are going to want to work with him ahead of the college football season. Not only is he the face of Michigan football, in my opinion, he’s now a national NIL brand.”

That national appeal is also reflected in his On3 NIL Valuation. Johnson ranks No. 31 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and personal NIL. Roster Value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.

Wolverines kept core group together with NIL

Michigan lost only five scholarship players to the transfer portal since coach Jim Harbaugh departed the program in late January. The Wolverines also saw key players return for another season instead of heading to the NFL Draft, including senior running back Donovan Edwards, senior safety Rod Moore, graduate safety Makari Paige and others.

Johnson credited the Champions Circle collective for much of the player retention.

“Every year, it’s evolved,” Johnson said of Michigan’s NIL platform since he arrived in Ann Arbor. “They’re working with us to get guys in the transfer portal, and the guys that came back for another year.

“The collective has done a great job of putting their all into making it what it is now, and I think they’ve done a great job so far, so I’m excited to see where it’s going. It was very important. We needed to keep that core group together – a lot of the guys that had experience on this team last year, especially in the secondary. I think that was the main reason we were able to do that, and I think it’s going to be big for later in this offseason, too.”