Michigan Football’s 2022 recruiting class superlatives

Instant impact (defense): Will Johnson

Michigan football wants to keep the best players in the state of Michigan, playing at Michigan and that objective was achieved in 2022 as the top recruit in the state, Will Johnson, signed with the Wolverines.

He committed to Michigan following its dreadful 2-4 season and was determined to be part of a turnaround. Well, that turnaround has already happened, so Johnson can now help Michigan football reach the next level.

The 6-foot-3 cornerback is rated as a five-star and will wear No. 2 just as Charles Woodson did and just like Woodson, his impact will be immediate. He will start next season and my prediction is that he’ll be a freshman All-American and maybe even Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year. He’s that good.

Instant impact (offense): Darrius Clemons

Another late addition to Michigan football’s 2022 recruiting class was four-star wide receiver Darrius Clemons.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wideout was formerly from the state of Michigan but moved to Oregon and was trending to the Ducks for a while. Mario Cristobal’s departure may have helped and Michigan was able to fend off Auburn/Oregon for his commitment.

While Clemons is big, he’s fast too, running the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. His speed should be a factor right away and he has a blend of size/speed that U-M just doesn’t currently have on the roster.

It should be exciting to watch and like Andrel Anthony, Clemons will turn heads his freshman year.