Is there a story behind Donovan Johnson
And the lack of interest from the in state schools? I believe he ended up signing with Penn St. Michigan didn't offer, even after the numbers crunch opened up, and after looking into other DB options. State never offered and they had availability, and took Reid, another Cass Tech kid. He ran a 4.3 at the Opening, and was a consensus 4 star kid. Just wondering if anyone had any insight?
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
Tracy Wolfson is not so great on the field, but man, can she cover a sports story like nobody's business!
February 3rd, 2017 at 7:19 PM ^
Peppers never played cover corner at Michigan and Law was not better than Woodson. He was pretty good though.
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:46 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:53 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:47 AM ^
If he's really 5'7", it should be fun watching him try to cover the likes of DPJ, Black, Collins, Martin, and Hawkins.
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:25 PM ^
I don't think he covers any of those guys.
I was hoping we'd offer him as a slot CB.
He can't cover any of those guys you listed in terms of height but Oliver Martin, Eddie McDoom and Nate Johnson are all under 6'.
It's a matter of whether he can cover THOSE guys.
IMO, a slot CB is crucial, we would slide Lewis to the spot on 3rd down (pre Clark injury) it was such a big deal. Those little guys who have an option to go left or right and are super shifty are hard to cover. A bunch of tall CBs with long arms have the same trouble as small CBs do trying to cover tall WRs.
Johnson, IMO, would've been a very nice addition to cover slot WRs. In fact, I would just have him do that and that only.
He can't cover DPJ, Black, Collins any more than Channing Stribling could cover Grant Perry, Martin, McDoom, and Johnson. You need both because most offenses now have both.
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
Lavert Hill or Ambry Thomas could cove the slot?
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
But we don't have THAT many bodies to throw out there.
Right now we have Hill and Long/Watson who likely start. Odd man out can cover the slot. Then you have Thomas like you mentioned. Personally, I'd leave Thomas on the outside as your backup...he's going to get snaps. Maybe more than Lavert Hill did last year.
I still think you need more depth. We've got Washington and St.-Juste who are likely outside, traditional CBs.
I'm not heartbroken about not getting Johnson...I'm just saying, if you have an extra scholarship, I think he would've found a role.
Time will tell, it really depends on who we get NEXT year. If those guys are better than Johnson (which could very well be the case), then in doesn't matter because they would've played over him as true freshman anyway.
Again, it's not THAT big of a deal. But the kid can play, he's just small. My bigger point was simply that it's not about his going up against tall WRs. That's a silly argument. Let him cover the little guys teams throw at us.
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
In past years we used a slot corner more than a 3rd LB. In 2016 we kept Peppers on the field to be both. We're looking for guys that can play a similar role. We want safeties that can play man coverage and some who can also play in the box. We're looking to put someone with that ability at the SAM.
Johnson can't do that. If we find someone who can, the only position on our defense I see for him is a dime back. Something we don't employ much and probably won't need to in the Big Ten.
Channing Stribling had to cover a variety of receivers. If your cornerbacks can't cover a slot then you're in trouble bacause teams will play more than one.
February 3rd, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
can do so much
February 3rd, 2017 at 2:06 PM ^
or Khaleke Hudson every year. Players like Donovan Johnson, probably not at all. I think he might have a role as a slot receiver, but even there we seem to prefer size.
February 3rd, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
February 10th, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:48 AM ^
The even bigger question is why State did not offer this guy. Apparently they would rather poach a two star recruit from FCS programs than have him. But then again, they recruit character so maybe they know something.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
With long arms. Always has, and it sounds like height and length was the drawback.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^
They signed a 3-star DB who is 5'9" 155lbs over Johnson. Staee does like taller corners, but when they say Johnson was too small and they didn't want him, but sign someone almost as small, it's a little confusing.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^
was pointless to make a late offer.
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
Are we sure the lack of interest was on MSU's end and not Johnson's? The academics are comparable, and Penn State has the superior campus and is the much stronger program historically. Plus MSU is in decline while Penn State is (technically) the Big Ten champs. Dantonio himself is a better coach than Franklin but Dantonio is also a raging a-hole who I can imagine lots of kids would prefer to avoid, and then when you start talking about assistants and position coaches it's probably a lot more muddled. About the only reasons I can see for picking MSU would be (i) not wanting any association with the Sandusky/Paterno scandals and (ii) it's closer to home, if that matters to Johnson. So, I don't think it's entirely out of the question that MSU contacted Johnson to try and set up a visit or something and were told, "no thanks, I'm good with Penn State."
/fun with rank speculation
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^
MSU never offered
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
Seems this guy was at one time a possible power 5 guy, at the very least the AAC or MAC. He recently dipped in ranking as there is no signs that he is signing anywhere. Does anyone have any insight as to what happened here?
February 3rd, 2017 at 8:56 AM ^
I'm still curious why we never tried to mend the relationship with Antjuan Simmons, who I think would've been perfect for the viper.
It sounds like there was contact after OSU let him go and we basically told him we were full.
Is it because we thought Gay was coming, or did Simmons just rub the staff wrong with his comments and how he committed to OSU like the day after we reached out to him?
Johnson is definitely a burner, but for us he wouldn't have been more than a return specialist. We're obvioulsy trying to get bigger at corner.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:08 AM ^
It was Gay or bust. He is slower, or should I say, not as fast as the guys we already had in the fold, and it might have been a matter of principal at that point for the staff. He was not very kind, up until his interview with Sam about his feeling for Michigan. At the time he was an OSU commit, but I think it might have rubbed some on the staff the wrong way. I'm just speculating.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^
...it's principle.
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:01 AM ^
Or maybe the principal at Pioneer was sending them angry text messages. Who knows...
/s
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^
apophasis alert!!
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
I don't think we didn't go after him because he said some unkind things about Michigan. If what Sam wrote yesterday is true we got a commit from Solomon literally the day after him saying fuck Michigan went sort of viral.
I just think the kid was salty about being down on Michigan's list, had OSU recruiting him, thought he was better than how we perceived him and just wasnt interested in Michigan. At the point he became a free agent again I think the staff considered the bridge likely too burned to spend the time necessary to effectively recruit him.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:11 AM ^
Ain't no gold in them there hills, apparently.
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:16 AM ^
was perfect for the viper position. I haven't heard anyone else suggest that he was either. I think the reason we didn't pursue Simmons was the simplest one possible. We liked our LB commits better. Simmons as much as said that himself. It was never a question of mending fences. Harbaugh is both willing and good at that when it comes to recruiting.
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
I think the main reason was that Singleton, Ross , and Anthony were all in the class by that point and were all seen as better prospects by the staff, along with the recruiting sites. Gay was still a take because he is such a talent
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:12 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
Delonte Hollowell didn't get a ton of run either...
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^
Because central PA an hour away from Altoona as the biggest major city is so much higher up the food chain.
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
probably
February 3rd, 2017 at 9:41 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
Can't coach height.
February 3rd, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
Tiny Cass Tech corners. Both Michigan and MSU want cornerbacks who can play press-man AND help out in the run game, and the coaching staffs didn't think he was going to be big enough to hack it. Someone above said Terry Richardson and I agree. Richardson even got pretty high recruiting grades but he was always too small to contribute on this level.
Penn State already lives with tiny quick cornerbacks and let their safeties get the edges (they have good enough linebackers to have them read and react to multiple gaps.
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
February 3rd, 2017 at 1:23 PM ^
Why didn't we take Donovan Johnson?. Probably because the corners we did take are better in every aspect. The receivers we got are match up nightmares. Wade and Johnson at the ten yard line are going to have a bit of a problem when we line up Collins,DPJ, and Black. Fade route.....TOUCHDOWN.
February 3rd, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^
As a CB? No. But I would have loved to see Johnson as a scat back option at Michigan.
I watched him play a few times and he was--at times--untouchable. In the 2016 game against Saline he was the best player on the field. He had 285 yards on just 13 rushes. He was impressive against King as well.
February 3rd, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^