Ron Johnson Jr., Wolverine

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr.

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr. committed to Michigan on Thursday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others.

Johnson is 6'4", 240 lbs. He claims a 4.6 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 84 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #16 DE, #103 overall
Rivals: 4-star, #6 WDE, #109 overall
Scout: 3-star, #48 DE
247 Sports: 4-star, 92 grade, #17 WDE, #231 overall

Johnson was offered by Michigan's new staff, and the Wolverines immediately jumped to at or near the top of the list. He visited Ann Arbor in late March, and that visit solidified their position along with South Carolina. There were rumors recently that Michigan was concerned about his size and that he would not be a "take" for the Wolverines. Obviously, those rumors were not true, especially after Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison OLB/DE Khalid Kareem committed to Alabama on Wednesday. Johnson and several other players (LINK) arrived on Wednesday evening, and Johnson was committed by Thursday afternoon.

I wrote a scouting report on Johnson back in May, which tells you most of what I think about him (LINK).

I have said several times - including in the comments section of Johnson's scouting report - that I was not too disappointed in Khalid Kareem's commitment to Alabama because Michigan had better options. I think Johnson is a step up. I believe he could play Buck linebacker, weakside end, or even perhaps strongside end in a few years. He is a good physical specimen who can sometimes get a little lackadaisical with his technique, but the potential is there to be a very good player.

Michigan now has 20 commitments for the 2016 class, and Johnson joins Rashad Weaver at defensive end, the latter of whom is more of a strongside guy. The Wolverines have added 14 commits in just the month of June. They now rank #7 in the 247 Composite team rankings.

Johnson's teammate, Brad Hawkins, is a 2016 wide receiver who was supposed to visit with this New Jersey crew, but he had to postpone to mid-July. Hawkins posted on Twitter that he might like to announce on his birthday, which is July 26. His two leaders are also Michigan and South Carolina. Additionally, the Wolverines offered their 2017 teammate, center/guard Cesar Ruiz.

TTB Rating: 83 (ratings explanation)