Sherrone Moore talks Will Johnson, freshman who's a future 'star,' successful senior class

Michigan Wolverines football is back from its second bye week, and has two regular-season games remaining — versus Northwestern Nov. 23 and at Ohio State Nov. 30. The players received some time off during the bye, but returned with a strong Sunday practice.

“Had some of our best, spirited practices,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said of the idle week. “Came back from — gave them a couple days off — and they came out yesterday with fire, with energy. So it was really good to see the kids in a positive mindset.”

Michigan captains dubbed it “buy in week,” so there wasn’t much taking the foot off the gas, but another week without a game gave banged up players the chance to heal and refresh. Junior cornerback Will Johnson has missed three-plus games, having left the Oct. 19 clash at Illinois in the first quarter with what was reported as a toe injury.

Moore said on his radio show last week that Johnson started to get back to running, signaling progress. He was asked during his Monday press conference for an update on the 6-foot-2, 202-pounder.

“He’s still working through it, so we’ll see what happens as we go through this week,” Moore said.

Johnson would certainly help Michigan’s chances to win its sixth game and reach bowl eligibility. The Wolverines are double-digit favorites over Northwestern but are projected to be massive underdogs at Ohio State.

“I think it’s huge,” Moore said of the importance of making a bowl. “It’s huge for the program. Obviously, playing another game, getting another chance to play a good team, but building on the future, getting more practices. It’s like another spring ball for the young guys. It’s more football for the guys that need to keep getting better at football. So it’s huge for us and huge for the program.”

Moore discussed the Michigan freshmen that would benefit most from having the extra practices.

“Guys like [EDGE] Dom[inic] Nichols, start up front with him because he’s shown flashes here and there, and he’s played. Would be great for him. [Safety] Mason Curtis has just been a tackling machine out there. He’s gonna be a star. [Cornerback] Jo’Ziah Edmond is another guy on defense, and then [linebacker] Cole Sullivan. Those guys on defense, and then offensively, I’ve talked about [offensive tackle] Andrew Sprague — watching him blossom and seeing what he’s done. But really guys that hit me: [wide receiver] Channing Goodwin is another guy, and then the backs, Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka’apana.

“We’ll start to see a little bit more of those guys. You saw Jordan last game as a kick returner, but Micah Ka’apana, he has some dynamic speed, and put that on display a little bit this week.”

On the flip side, Michigan’s veterans are looking to end the season on a high note. The Wolverines will honor their seniors and graduate students before this Saturday’s game — a group that has helped the Maize and Blue reach great heights, with the program winning three-straight Big Ten championships and the 2023 national title.

“They mean so much to the program,” Moore said of the seniors. “The record in the last four years — obviously this year not where we want to be — 50-8. To have that record is really big.

“Guys like Breddy [senior fullback / tight end Max Bredeson], guys like [graduate safety] Makari [Paige], [senior running back] Donovan [Edwards], they’ve made such an impact on the team. [Senior EDGE] Josaiah Stewart was a transfer that came in [from Coastal Carolina]. But even guys like [fifth-year senior left tackle] Myles Hinton, [graduate left guard] Josh Priebe, you can go down the list, there are plenty of guys. [Senior quarterback] Davis Warren. Guys that have really impacted our program in a huge way, in a positive way.

“So thankful for them, and want them to go out on a high note, especially in their last game at The Big House.”

Michigan’s No. 1 goal this week — and for every game — is to come out on top with a victory. But Moore is also hoping to see a certain brand from his Wolverines this week.

“That passion, that fire that we saw in the second half at Indiana, especially from the defensive guys,” Moore said of what he wants from his team besides winning. “They played an incredible second half, and offensively thought we could’ve played better, and attacking and fixing those things. But I just want to see them have fun. This game is about having fun.

“There are so many negative things that people try to bring you down in this world, and at the end of the day, these are kids, and I love these kids. Win or lose, draw, they’re our kids, they’re my kids, they’re Michigan’s players, they’re our team. I want to see them go out and have that competitive fire and have fun.

“Yeah, go execute at a high level and go win — 100 percent — but I want to see them have fun this weekend.”