Michigan CB Will Johnson declares for 2025 NFL Draft
Michigan Wolverines football junior cornerback Will Johnson has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid. Johnson will forgo his final season of eligibility.
Johnson played in 32 games with 22 starts over three seasons at Michigan. The former five-star recruit is a two time All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team in 2023 and second-team by the media in 2024). He earned first-team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated as a sophomore in 2023, and was the Defensive MVP of the national championship game, helping lead the Maize and Blue to their 12th title in history and first since 1997.
Johnson was highly sought after as a recruit but chose to stay close to home where his father, Deon Johnson, was also a defensive back.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder is currently out with a toe injury he suffered in the first quarter of an Oct. 19 game at Illinois. He hasn’t played since. The Wolverines have one game left, a ReliaQuest Bowl matchup with Alabama.
Johnson appeared in six games this season, registering 14 tackles, including 1 behind the line of scrimmage, 5 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. Both of his picks were returned for touchdowns — in the fourth quarter against Fresno State and the third quarter against USC. He’s Michigan’s all-time leader with 3 pick-sixes in his career.
Johnson’s film study and feel for the game have helped him make such big plays throughout his career.
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“You can be as prepared as you want to in the film room, but if you can’t take it to the field and apply it in those type of moments, then it really doesn’t matter,” Johnson said. “So I think a lot of it is instincts, too, and just having that feel and trusting your preparation and trusting your instincts and going out there and doing it.
The Detroit native’s breakout season came in 2022, when he became a full-time starter. Despite playing as less than 100 percent health for most of the campaign, he posted 27 tackles, including 1 for loss, 8 pass breakups and a career-best 4 interceptions. He had 3 picks, 6 pass breakups, 27 tackles and 2 tackles for loss the previous season in 2022, the only year he played in every game (14 appearances).
The Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South product was a five-star recruit and the No. 16 overall player in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industy Ranking.
Michigan has just five cornerbacks on the roster that have eligibility remaining, now that Johnson has declared. The Wolverines did bring in a pair of corners in the 2025 recruiting class, though, in top-100 prospect Shamari Earls and Jayden Sanders.
