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Michigan football gets commitment from Grosse Pointe South 5-star CB Will Johnson

Michigan football just earned a huge win on the recruiting trail.

Grosse Pointe South cornerback Will Johnson committed to the Wolverines on Sunday. Johnson, a member of the 2022 recruiting class, is a five-star prospect ranked No. 11 overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is the top-ranked prospect in the state of Michigan.

Johnson picked Michigan over Ohio State and USC. He also reported offers from Alabama, LSU and Notre Dame, among others.

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Grosse Pointe South receiver Will Johnson lines up during the first half against Macomb Dakota at Grosse Pointe South High School on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
Grosse Pointe South receiver Will Johnson lines up during the first half against Macomb Dakota at Grosse Pointe South High School on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.

Johnson, listed at 6 feet 3, 190 pounds, has been a highly touted recruit for years. He is the son of Deon Johnson, who was an All-State Dream Team cornerback at Detroit King and played at Michigan from 1990-94.

Based on his ranking, Johnson would be the sixth-highest ranked prospect to sign with Michigan in the modern recruiting rankings era, according to the 247Sports database. He would also be the first top-ranked, in-state recruit to pick the Wolverines since the 2018 cycle.

Grosse Pointe South receiver Will Johnson is defended by Macomb Dakota's Eric Reese at Grosse Pointe South high school Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
Grosse Pointe South receiver Will Johnson is defended by Macomb Dakota's Eric Reese at Grosse Pointe South high school Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.

"Great size and still growing," wrote 247Sports analyst Allen Trieu. "Has length, but is also filled in and looks like a prototypical outside cornerback prospect. Good athlete who excels on the basketball court and has shown top notch ball skills on the football field. Has the size and ball tracking ability to defend bigger outside receivers. Has good technique. Smooth in his backpedal and transition. Smart as far as zone coverage.

"Has yet to time at an event or in track, so verified speed is one question mark right now. It is possible he will outgrow cornerback if he keeps getting taller and bigger, but at present, projects as a blue-chip boundary cornerback who will be an impact college player and have a good chance to be a higher draft choice."

Johnson is the sixth prospect to join Michigan's 2022 class, along with four-star athlete Taylor Groves, four-star athlete Kody Jones, three-star tight end Marlin Klein, three-star defensive lineman Davonte Miles (River Rouge) and three-star offensive tackle Connor Jones.

Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football recruiting: 5-star CB Will Johnson commits for 2022