DB Quinten Johnson: Champions Circle, Michigan's NIL 'framework' are 'the best in the country'

Michigan Wolverines football didn’t officially get graduate safety Quinten Johnson back for his sixth season until March 11, over a month after he had originally declared for the NFL Draft Feb. 2. Since he didn’t participate in the combine, he was eligible to return.

Johnson was rehabbing from a hamstring injury he suffered during the College Football Playoff, limiting his pre-draft preparation and subsequently factoring into his decision to return.

“I was kind of taking it day by day, just seeing how the injury would progress and just working out my options on what makes the most sense,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, I had a great conversation with [Michigan head] Coach [Sherrone] Moore and [defensive coordinator] Coach Wink [Martindale] on the different opportunities that will present themselves from an NFL level and a college level. It just made the most sense to come back.

“The good thing is, I spent all that time here. I actually was doing a lot of my rehab in Ann Arbor, so I was still around the team. Even when I was declared for the draft, I was still here a lot, just talking to Wink and talking to Coach Moore and talking to the different players about ways I can improve as a player. I was able to have those day-to-day conversations and interactions that ultimately led to me coming back.”

As he made the decision to come back to college football, Johnson signed an NIL deal with Randy Wise Automotive. He’s since been involved in other NIL endeavors, including as a signed athlete with Michigan’s primary collective, Champions Circle.

“A huge factor,” Johnson said of NIL. “I do think that Champions Circle and what we have at Michigan and the framework that we operate NIL with is the best in the country. I’m truly appreciative for it, because those opportunities allow guys like me to come back and play.”

Johnson didn’t just want to return for the money, though. It was a reason why he was able to come back and do what he wanted to, which is play another season in a winged helmet.

“In my opinion, the culture here goes deeper than NIL,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure how it is at other college football programs, but we’re not here for NIL. That’s an advantage and something that I believe every player deserves, but at the end of the day, you don’t come to Michigan for NIL. You come to Michigan to be a Michigan man.

“The opportunities that come with the university from an NIL perspective, but from a school perspective and a sports perspective is second to none.

“The culture here is so strong that the money and all that is an extra benefit. But that’s not the true benefit of being here at Michigan.”

Quinten Johnson embracing competition in secondary

Johnson adds experience and depth in a Michigan secondary that coveted those two things this offseason, especially after senior safety Rod Moore went down with a severe knee injury in late March. After spring practices, the Wolverines picked up two safeties in the NCAA transfer portal — junior Jaden Mangham (Michigan State) and graduate Wesley Walker (Louisville).

“I feel like it’s great competition. At the end of the day, the NIL landscape kinda created a new version of college football, and it’s what you’re gonna see in the pros — constant competition,” Johnson explained. “Me and Wes are roommates. It’s a great opportunity to make each other better each day. There’s no animosity. It’s all about work, it’s all about grind, it’s all about how we can make ourselves better each day.”

If Johnson raises his level of play because of that competition, he’ll be all the better for it, he believes, and it could help him reach his goal of playing in the NFL.

“There are always things to work on,” Johnson said of what he’s hoping to prove in 2024. “Even if I was an NFL rookie right now, there would still be things to work on, but at the end of the day, the way I look at it is just becoming the best version of myself each and every day.

“On the college level, I can improve my draft stock, just by showing some of the skills that I do have. So just being out there every day, becoming the best version of myself on this level to get to the next level and be even better.”

He has confidence in the entire defensive backfield and unit at large.

“Because we brought key contributors back,” Johnson said of why. “At the end of the day, like I said about the competition, there’s so much depth in that room and on the defense that you’re gonna see a seamless transition. That’s how Michigan should be every year. There’s so much talent in this building that you see on the field and you see when you come to practice that it should only be a constant progression.”

Johnson has a different perspective on the Michigan football program now, and he’s sharing his wisdom with younger teammates who are in a position that he once was.

“It’s great. For me personally, I get to see the team in a different lens,” Johnson said. “I get to see younger guys grow up a little bit, and I get to grow up, as well.

“I’m in a different phase of life than some of the younger, younger guys, but it’s an opportunity for me to expand as a leader and be more vocal and grow as a young leader for when I transition into the next phase in life. I’m presented with a different opportunity, but I’m really grateful for it.”

Johnson was a part of Michigan’s safety rotation last season, posting 22 tackles, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups and a forced fumble while helping the Wolverines finish 15-0 and win the program’s 12th national championship.