Michigan CB Will Johnson talks 'chip on our shoulder,' Jyaire Hill's growth, nickel back contenders
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football junior cornerback Will Johnson has taken it upon himself to help uphold the team set by winning the national championship last season, acknowledging that there’s been a lot of staff and roster turnover during the offseason. An All-American last season, Johnson is an upperclassman with a bigger voice now.
“Just being a better leader, being someone that can be accountable to my teammates and always being around, being there for guys that need me,” Johnson said of his focus. “There are a lot of new guys, a lot of new people in this building, so trying to keep the standard where it was and make sure everyone knows what it’s like to be a Michigan man and what it takes to get to where we were last year.”
The Wolverines were picked by the media to finish fourth in the Big Ten, after winning the conference each of the last three seasons and going 40-3 in their last 43 overall contests. That serves as motivation for the Maize and Blue.
“We still got that chip on our shoulder, just because the expectations for us aren’t very high,” Johnson said. “We have high expectations for ourselves, so we just want to come out here and work every day and be process-driven and prepare the best we can and prove ourselves right.
“We obviously see it all over the media. They don’t think we’ll be good this year, and we think differently. So that’s all it is.”
The goals for Michigan haven’t changed, Johnson said. The team is aiming to win the national championship and Big Ten and beat Ohio State and Michigan State.
The Wolverines will need several players to step up to realize those goals, including on defense. The cornerback spot opposite Johnson is up for grabs, and head coach Sherrone Moore said sophomore Jyaire Hill was the top guy heading into camp. Johnson has been impressed through four practices.
“He definitely took that next step so far,” Johnson noted. “He’s been a lot more reliable, knows the playbook really well, is always in the right spot now. He’s a really athletic guy, and he’s always around the ball, so he has a good chance of making a lot of plays this year.
“Just being consistent, knowing what he’s supposed to be doing, not making the same mistake over and over. Just being a guy you can rely on and being consistent.”
Michigan brought in some competition at the position after spring practices, adding graduate transfers Aamir Hall (Albany) and Ricky Johnson (UNLV). The pair has combined to start 37 games in college football prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, albeit at lower levels of the sport.
“They’re both very experienced,” Johnson said. “They’ve played a lot of football before. They know football. Right now, it’s just trying to learn our defense and get comfortable in our defense, just do things the way we do it here.”
Michigan is also looking to replace Mike Sainristil — the No. 50 overall pick in this past spring’s NFL Draft — at the nickel back position, which is key in the defensive system. Junior Zeke Berry had the lead there entering fall camp, with senior Ja’Den McBurrows also in contention.
“I would say Zeke is a very sudden subtle, twitchy, fast playmaker,” Johnson said. “He’s just a playmaker out there. At the nickel spot, you want somebody that can be savvy and be a playmaker. I think he’s really good at that.
“And then J-Mac has the experience. He’s been here for a few years now, he’s played nickel, he’s played in games. He’s got that same experience, he’s healthy now, he’s back in shape and he’s been doing good, too.”
