Name: Cornelius Johnson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 208 lbs.
High school: Greenwich (CT) Brunswick
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #6
Last year: I ranked Johnson #14 and said he would be a starting wide receiver with 35 catches for 540 yards and 5 touchdowns (LINK). He started all fourteen games and made 39 catches for 620 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 87
Johnson signed with Michigan in 2019 looking the part of a pro-ready player. He was known for being mature and focused, and nothing that has happened since has detracted from that. He was also a good route runner with some sneaky speed, and that continues to be the case. Against Northern Illinois in week three last season, he caught the third longest pass in Michigan history, going 87 yards for a touchdown. After three seasons on campus, he now has three 100+ yard games against NIU (2021), Indiana (2021), and Rutgers (2020).
Johnson looks the part of a future pro at 6'3" and over 200 pounds. He looks like the prototype that used to roll through Michigan regularly from the 1990s through the early 2000s. So despite the depth of Michigan's receiver room, I have him pushed up here at #13 because he's the only proven guy on the roster who looks and plays like a guy with speed who has a good catch radius. Darrius Clemson has been earning rave reviews as a freshman, and redshirt freshman Cristian Dixon has the size but not the athleticism. But Johnson can go deep, run intermediate routes, and even catch some screens or grab some end arounds or reverses to keep defenses honest. He seems to be a favorite of quarterback Cade McNamara and should have another good season in 2022. The only thing holding me back from predicting an uptick in usage is the fact that Ronnie Bell returns from injury and should soak up some targets.
Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 36 catches for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns
Did you have Ronnie Bell listed already and I missed it? You have him higher than Johnson?
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be off here for a couple of days. You are probably very busy getting your team ready. But I will just say, it's hard to believe Cade McNamara won't be the starter on week 3. Jim Harbaugh took him to BIG10 Media Day. He must be thinking very highly of him. And the team just voted him captain. I think the Week 1 QB and Week 2 QB is only being done to keep JJ McCarthy more involved. The transfer portal has changed so much. Coaches have to change with it. McCarthy could leave today. This QB issue has become a distraction to the team, and just watching the team. I want it settled. I am tired of it all. We should be talking about the team and the season, not talking day and night about JJ McCarthy.
DeleteI haven't got to Ronnie Bell yet. Yes, I have been extremely busy with football season preparation and then some personal stuff (nothing serious) that popped up recently. I had been popping out two of these profiles per day and was on pace to catch up, but then life got in the way.
DeleteSo many other options, including Anthony. Harbaugh added a walk on O'Leary to the mix too.
ReplyDeleteBrian Cook thinks Johnson will be WR1. I very much doubt it and do not see where all the hype is coming from other than looking the part.
Delete1. Bell 2. Wilson 3. Johnson in my eyes, with Anthony potentially crashing the party.
I don't mind being wrong about it though. We've seen seniors have breakthroughs before.
I like CJ, I do. But I just watched the sparty game again last night, and he had two key drops late in the game. Tough plays, but if fans are tough on Cade, it's gotta go to the guy whose chest/hands touch the ball
ReplyDeleteNeed better this year