The Future Face Of Michigan Football: Meet Five-Star Commit Will Johnson

Will Johnson wipes the sweat off his forehead as he glances over to his favorite reporter.

“He’s really going to make us do this again,” he says. “Watch, we’ll be here for another hour… at least.”

The On3 Consensus five-star Michigan defensive back commit proceeds to repeat the same drill on an unusually hot summer day in Detroit. Johnson had just wrapped up a summer practice session with his Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South football team that morning.

But the work of an elite high school athlete is never over. Johnson zoomed straight over to Detroit King High School for a private workout.

“Come on, William,” screams a familiar voice.

Only one person calls Johnson by his full name — his father, Deon Johnson. He’s the man leading the workouts. An ex-Wolverine, Deon knows a thing or two about getting to the next level and playing on one of college football’s biggest stages.

Will goes through the drill again and again and again until it’s perfect.

While fellow 2022 elite prospects like Jaydon Blue, a Texas commit, and Quinn Ewers, who is already on the Ohio State roster, opted out for their senior seasons, that was never an option for Will. Like Ewers, Will had the opportunity to leave high school early and profit off NIL.

Will isn’t ignorant to that. He already has some gear with concept logos. But anybody that knows Will knows he’s a competitor. Put your head down and work — that’s the mantra he lives by.

“I would never do that,” Will said. “It’s not like I’m going to the NFL. I still have a lot to prove. I want to prove why I’m the best defensive back and the best player in the country and win a state championship with my team.” 

The Team, The Team, The Team.

Like the true Michigan Man he is, Will never abandoned his team. South isn’t exactly a powerhouse and enters Friday’s playoff game as an underdog to Warren (Mich.) De Salle. Johnson could have easily gone to King like his father. After all, King is a state title favorite and features another five-star recruit in all-world quarterback Dante Moore.

Instead, Will stayed the course. Despite some ups and downs in terms of results, Johnson has remained a captain for South throughout his high school career.

“It means a lot to stay at South,” Will said. “I could have gone to one of those schools [like King] and tried to win a state championship with them. But I feel like we have a good, solid team that can win a state championship here. It would be cool to do something different instead of doing what everybody else is doing.”

Will has always marched to the beat of his own drum.

A leader by nature, Will commands the respect of everyone around him with his work ethic and play on the field. His quiet voice and calm, cool demeanor keep him levelheaded even when opposing teams hit him late and do everything they can to frustrate him.

But every now and then, the Detroit comes out.

In a club 7v7 tournament this summer, Will lost his cool and began trash talking his opponents after getting slapped in the head. He pressed wide receivers into oblivion and was the first one there to defend teammate Dillon Tatum when a small scuffle broke out.

Dante Moore, who wrapped up his own private workout in the same stadium earlier that day, playfully recruits Will to King as he stays behind and watches him work out before heading off to driving school. Moore teases Will a bit about living in Grosse Pointe, a more affluent neighborhood just a few miles down the road from King, and even jokingly offers to mow his lawn.

Will just rolls his eyes. He’s as Detroit as they come. After all, Will has been the face of Sound Mind Sound Body for years. If you don’t know what Sound Mind Sound Body is, chances are you aren’t from Detroit.

Co-founded by Deon Johnson and Curtis Blackwell (Will’s Godfather), Sound Mind Sound Body provides training, club 7v7, mentorship and academic support throughout metro Detroit. Almost every high-level recruit in Detroit has been a part of or participated in Sound Mind Sound Body events. The club 7v7 branch is actually named Max Ex for maximum exposure.

The Motor City doesn’t always command respect nationally on the recruiting scene. Sound Mind Sound Body seeks to promote and help players in the area reach their dreams of playing at the next level. Will has been a star for Max Ex for years and always does his part to elevate his teammates.

Being a part of Sound Mind Body and the city of Detroit means everything to him.

 “A lot of people around here have a chip on their shoulder,” Will said. “Detroit football is undervalued and doubted a lot. In Detroit, we work and want to prove we have some of the best players in the country. Mostly everybody is family up here. We like to compete with each other and have everybody’s best interest at heart. We have each other’s backs. We have a bond.”

Despite his five-star rating and endless headlines and interviews, Johnson has the same Detroit mentality. After all, Will isn’t ranked as high as good friend Domani Jackson and is just a four-star, according to the On3 rankings.

The reason? Well, Will’s heard it over and over again — speed. It’s not that Will is slow. He works with a private speed coach year-round and led South to the state track meet in the relays. It’s that he doesn’t have verified times.

Unlike a lot of other ballyhooed recruits, Will didn’t take part in any major camps or combines and hasn’t for a while. The only offseason events Will participated in were directly related to Sound Mind Sound Body and Max Ex.

“I didn’t go to The Opening or the Rivals camps or Future 50,” Johnson said. “I just did 7v7 with my team. I just feel like they are trying to find something to say about me. I think my speed plays out on the field. Obviously, if I have good coverage, I don’t have to chase somebody down every time. It is what it is. I’m not worried about it.

“I’m going to keep working. They’ll see I have enough speed to do what I need to do on the field. Let them doubt if they want to.” 

Michigan certainly believes in his speed and elite skillset. The Wolverines are fully anticipating Will to make an immediate impact once he graduates in December and enrolls early. A tall, long, physical prospect, Will is sure to provide the secondary with a boost as soon as he steps foot on campus.

While he’s a legacy recruit, Johnson did have suitors across the country. Ohio State made a strong push for his services as did USC and Oklahoma. But at the end of the day, Will made a very, well, Will decision and committed to Michigan.

Being part of a family close to home as well as a program in need of reinforcements to right the ship was important to him. As his workout comes to an end, Will throws on a maize Michigan shirt with pride and poses with the ‘M’ hand sign.

Fast forward to now. Friday night may or may not be Will’s last high school game. A two-way star, Will almost never makes his way to the sideline and is going to leave everything he has on the field. It wouldn’t be the least bit shocking to see Will lead South to an upset win.

But if the dream of a state title and an illustrious high school career does come to an end, you can bet William Johnson will be ready for the next step in his journey.  

“It means a lot to go to Michigan,” Will said. “It’s different when you’re playing at home. I want to go out and put on for Detroit and put Michigan back on top. A lot of players from Michigan go to Michigan, so it creates a family atmosphere. You have to want to put on for where you’re from. I talk to Donovan [Edwards] and those guys all the time. The goal is to win a national championship.”