The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2021 THE WOLVERINE 49 MICHIGAN RECRUITING As Brandon put it, Johnson means everything to the Grosse Pointe South football program. "He's the catalyst for what our team does," Brandon said. "When he has a good night, we all have a good night. He's a leader. He's obvi- ously our best player on both sides of the ball. Grosse Pointe South foot- ball goes as Will Johnson goes. "We always talk about his talent, but he's a great character kid. You would think a kid that has all that publicity would be arrogant. He's not. He's a very humble young man. It's been a pleasure having him in our program." At 6-2 and 182 pounds, Johnson is a tall, long corner that is at his best when getting physical in press-man coverage. However, he is also very patient and technically advanced for his age. Overall, Brandon believes Johnson should be looked at as a cover cor- ner with position flexibility. "He is a big corner. He's tall and long," the coach noted. "I just had a conversation about this with an- other head coach. He asked me the exact same question. Will has the skills to be a corner. Even though he's so tall and long, he's got great hips, feet and ball skills. When he goes to Michigan, I think they will figure out what they need. "Do we need a lockdown cover corner? Will Johnson. Do we need a safety that can be in two-deep cover and come up and make tackles? Will Johnson. He can do it all." TAY'SHAWN TRENT IS A VERSATILE ADDITION Michigan picked up a commit- ment from one of the most intrigu- ing prospects in the Midwest in Eastpointe (Mich.) High wide re- ceiver Tay'Shawn Trent. A big-bodied prospect at 6-4 and 205 pounds, Trent started at wide receiver and linebacker for East- pointe last season and garnered attention as a flex end prospect. Eastpointe head coach Al Demps believes Trent's best days are ahead of him. "He has a bright future on either side of the ball. He was a heck of a linebacker for us," Demps said. "He has size and is going to get bigger. I told him not to be surprised if he finds himself on the defensive side of the ball [in college]. But I think he can be an outside receiver. He has tremendous football knowledge. "His sophomore year was his first year at the varsity level. I was surprised at how well he knew the game from the linebacker spot. He was instinctive. It was a pleasant surprise. He has a unique set of skills for his size." Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis offered Trent last year and recruited him solely as an out- side wide receiver. Trent, the No. 33 wide receiver nationally per Rivals.com, finished his junior season with 32 receptions for 548 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a pure pass catcher, Demps feels Trent can be a valuable weapon on the outside for the Wolverines. "He runs great routes," the coach said. "He did it all this year. He caught screens, and ran short and intermediate routes. He is more of a possession receiver. "He's a great blocker. He loves to block. He has great ball skills. He's an athlete and can jump out of the gym. If you throw a ball up there, he'll go up and get it." Demps added that Michigan is getting a great addition off the field as well. "He's a tremendous kid. He's one of our hardest workers. Sometimes, kids can get a big head. That's not him," Demps noted. "He's pushing guys to get better. Ultimately, he wants to win a state championship here, which has never been done. He has team goals, not individual goals. That's what I like about him." ALEX VANSUMEREN LEAVES CLASS Michigan lost a key piece to the puzzle this cycle. Rivals250 Essexville (Mich.) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren opened up his recruit- ment and is no longer part of Michi- gan's 2022 class. VanSumeren announced his decision in late February. "Although I will always be grateful for the opportunity, I am no longer committed to the University of Mich- igan," VanSumeren wrote in a post on social media. "My recruitment is open." VanSumeren is the younger brother of former Michigan linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who entered the NCAA transfer portal and committed to rival Michigan State shortly after Alex's an- nouncement. Alex originally committed to Michi- gan in December 2019, but maintained that he wanted to take visits this off- season. After picking Michigan, Alex notched offers from Alabama, Penn State, Stanford and others. At 6-2 and 300 pounds, Alex is ranked as the No. 8 defensive tackle and No. 172 overall prospect nation- ally by Rivals.com. Alex is the second 2022 recruit to decommit from Michigan since the Wolverines parted ways with former defensive coordinator Don Brown. Ri- vals250 Cambridge (Mass.) Bucking- ham Browne & Nichols School line- backer Tyler Martin backed out of his verbal pledge in January. Losing VanSumeren is a hit for the Wolverines, especially with defensive tackle a big position of need. Michigan did, however, close strong at the posi- tion in 2021 and holds a commitment from three-star River Rouge (Mich.) High product Davonte Miles. ❑ 2022 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Taylor Groves WR 6-3 185 Cross Plains, Tenn. (East Robertson) Will Johnson DB 6-2 182 Grosse Pointe, Mich. (Grosse Pointe South) Connor Jones OL 6-7 285 Monument, Colo. (Palmer Ridge) Kody Jones DB 6-0 180 Germantown, Tenn. (Germantown) Marlin Klein TE 6-6 215 Rabun Gap, Ga. (Nacoochee) Davonte Miles DL 6-4 265 River Rouge, Mich. (River Rouge) Tay'Shawn Trent WR 6-4 205 Eastpointe, Mich. (Eastpointe) Essexville (Mich.) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren decommitted from the Wolverines after his brother Ben VanSumeren announced his departure from the U-M program. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM