Travis Johnson, Wolverine

 

Travis Johnson with WR coach Ronald Bellamy

Chesapeake (VA) Oscar Smith wide receiver Travis Johnson committed to Michigan on Saturday. He picked the Wolverines over Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Texas A&M, and numerous others.

Johnson is listed at 6'3" and 185 pounds. As a junior in 2024, he caught 63 passes for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #17 WR, #112 overall
On3: 4-star, 91 grade, #15 WR, #137 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #55 WR
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #23 WR, #173 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Johnson is a thin-framed, speedy receiver with some creativity in his route running and after the catch. He shows an ability to high-point the football and make some nice adjustments in traffic. I'm impressed by his acceleration off the line of scrimmage, and even though he has good speed, he has a little wiggle in his hips that helps him create separation in his route running. He's well coached in how he creates space by attacking defensive backs' leverage and getting them to flip their hips. Even when he's well covered, sometimes the quarterback just chucks the ball up and lets Johnson make a play.

I don't really have a lot of questions about Johnson other than his size; he's rather thin and could get bodied up or lose his ability to run through tackles at the next level. If he continues to work in the weight room - and if his metabolism allows him to put on bulk - he should adjust nicely to the next level. But at 6'3" and 185 pounds, right now he's roughly in the 2024 version of Amorion Walker (Walker was listed at 182 pounds).

Overall, Johnson is a very good prospect who should develop into a legitimate deep threat at Michigan. His size, speed, and route running are a good combination, and he also has an element of play strength to him that should make him dangerous after the catch. I would liken him to someone like Cornelius Johnson, whose prime was spent at Michigan in a run-heavy era but who averaged 15.9, 15.9, and 15.6 yards per catch from 2020-2022; Cornelius Johnson was eventually listed at 6'3", 211 lbs. and he was a jump ball threat as well as an occasional big-play threat, such as the 2021 game against Ohio State.

Michigan now has twenty commitments in the class of 2026, and Travis Johnson joins a class that already has Texans Jaylen Pile and Zion Robinson committed at the wide receiver position. While Johnson is #144 overall in the 247 Composite and Robinson is #132, I actually think Johnson is the better player.

Oscar Smith is a talented powerhouse of a school in Virginia, but they have never sent any players to Michigan. The Tidewater area of Virginia generally produces a lot of talent that Michigan recruits heavily but loses out on. However, Michigan has had success in Virginia this cycle with recent commitments from Richmond-area players Markel Dabney and Andre Clarke, Jr.

TTB Rating: 82