Who Will Start At Cornerback Opposite Will Johnson?

Michigan’s roster is totally loaded throughout the board. On protection, nearly each place goes two or three deep, apart from cornerback. With Gemon Inexperienced and DJ Turner each off to the NFL, one spot is huge open for the taking. Rising sophomore Will Johnson was excellent as a real freshman and can seemingly by no means come off the sector in 2023. However reverse him, there’s a fairly massive query mark. Michigan has some proficient, but unproven, athletes ready their flip so it should be a battle to see who can lock down the opposite CB spot.

In The Hunt

1 – Ja’Den McBurrows

Proper now, McBurrows is extra identified for getting jumped by a number of cowardly Spartans than he’s for what he is completed on the sector, however that has an opportunity to alter. The 5-11, 206-pounder has handled some accidents whereas at Michigan however throughout his true freshman season he was getting some stable critiques. It’s going to be fascinating to see if he can get again to that in 2023, his third 12 months on campus.

3 – Keon Sabb

Sabb was seen extra as a security popping out of highschool however at 6-1, 208 kilos he is bought nice fluidity and will most likely play nook if he began working on the market. He did not play a lot this previous 12 months as a real freshman however he might get a glance reverse Johnson.

10 – Zeke Berry

Berry is an identical sort of participant by way of his background. He was as soon as a four-star security, however at 5-11, 197 kilos, he does have extra of a cornerback construct and he is been training there some per somebody near this system. 

12 – Kody Jones

At 5-11, 193 kilos, Jones additionally has a extra conventional cornerback construct however he is not fairly as prolonged as Berry. He would not appear like he might bulk up as a lot because the others, so his future seems to be extra at nickel. If he is bought the chance to study underneath Mike Sainristil, he ought to capitalize on that.

24 – Myles Pollard

Pollard appears extra like Johnson — lengthy, lanky and many able to matching up with bigger-bodied huge receivers. At 6-1, 191, he is a bit slight, and possibly has the furthest to go by way of approach and being prepared for normal reps, however he is bought some good bodily instruments to work with.

Wild Playing cards

0 – Mike Sainristil

The beforehand talked about Sainristil was an absolute wizard as a nickel for Michigan this previous 12 months, which makes you suppose he might most likely excel as a real cornerback as properly. The issue is, you possibly can be compromising two positions if you happen to transfer him. The higher strategy is to most likely depart him at nickel, the place he ought to be even higher, and produce alongside a younger prospect at nook. Nonetheless, if you happen to want a man to step out huge and canopy somebody, Agent 0 would most likely just do high quality as he has labored on the market.

4 – Amorion Walker

The largest query mark of all of them is Walker. The rising sophomore is listed at 6-3, 180 kilos, however he is larger than that. He is all of 6-4 and has definitely bulked up throughout his time at U-M. Presently listed as a large receiver on Michigan’s roster, Walker really performed some in-game reps at cornerback earlier this season. The reps did not final, however he is clearly getting a tough look on the defensive aspect of the ball. If he is good, like Sainristil was, he would possibly need to transfer over there since passing is not an enormous a part of Michigan’s offense. 

Michigan did ink three cornerbacks within the 2023 class — Jyaire Hill, Cameron Calhoun and D’Juan Waller Jr. — however none of them deliver Johnson-like expertise to the desk as rookies, so anticipating one among them to step up might be unrealistic. There’s all the time the switch portal as properly, which Michigan has been utilizing completely to this point. If defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale and Co. determine somebody within the portal who might assist out at cornerback, it is very practical that U-M would pursue them with an impeccable monitor document of touchdown who they need from that pool.