The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537777
AUGUST 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY EJ HOLLAND C hesapeake (Va.) Oscar S m i t h w i d e re ce ive r Travis Johnson announced his commitment to play for the University of Michigan on July 4 at a local venue in front of family and friends. However, Johnson actually made his decision three weeks prior. He took an official visit to Michigan on June 13 and gave the Wolverines a verbal pledge behind the scenes. "I committed on my official visit," Johnson said. "I loved my official visit. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Coach Bel- lamy and Coach Moore as well as my Virginia guys — I can't wait to be with all of them. I can't wait to get to Ann Arbor. Michigan is a winning pro- gram. They have a great aca- demic program. They have great people." As Johnson mentioned, both Michi- gan head coach Sherrone Moore and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy played big roles in his decision. "It's different getting to play for an African American coach," Johnson said. "Moore is one of one. He's one of us. He's a good guy to hang out with. I can't wait to spend three or four years with him. Coach Bellamy is one of us, too. He's a great guy to be around and talk to. Most of the time, when we talk, it's not just about football. It's about life." In order to seal the deal with John- son, Michigan also needed to win over his mother, Tiffany. After all, Tiffany played the role of mom and manager throughout the process and joined Tra- vis for every visit. At the end of the day, U-M also felt like home for her. "It means everything," Tiffany said. "This is what we've been working to- ward these last few years. If you know anything about our family and my jour- ney with my two sons, we've been do- ing this college recruiting process since 2021. Travis' process started as TJ's came to an end. It's literally been non- stop for the last four years. "It really means a lot, especially for him to find his place and home. Why not Michigan? As a mom, one of things I wanted was for Travis to be around men with integrity and strong character. "I followed Travis' lead with all of this, and Michigan checked all of his boxes. Michigan checked all of my boxes as a mom as well. These next few years are so instrumental in his life. He al- ready has strong relationships with players on the team as well as some of the incoming freshmen. He's already setting up to be home." At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Johnson is a big-bodied wide receiver with elite ath- leticism. As a junior, he pulled down 63 passes for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns for an Oscar Smith squad that went 15-0 and captured a Vir- ginia Class 6A championship. Rivals lists him as a four-star prospect, the No. 131 player and No. 17 wide receiver na- tionally, and the No. 3 recruit in Virginia. A star basketball player, Johnson can jump out of the gym and has a tremendous catch radius. He also runs routes like a small guy and can play inside or outside. Needless to say, Johnson brings a dynamic skill set to a Michigan offense set to be more balanced under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. "I'm very excited about the offense," Johnson said. "I love what Coach Lindsey did at North Caro- lina with Drake Maye, Omarion Hamp- ton and all of those guys. I think I can go in there and play early. Bryce Under- wood is a great guy to get the ball from." Underwood, a former five-star quar- terback, was actively involved in John- son's recruitment and was a valuable tool for the Wolverines. "Bryce is very genuine," Johnson said. "He's a leader on the field and off the field. He's just a great person. I can't wait to spend a lot of time around him. I'm definitely excited to catch passes from him. He can spin it." ❑ U-M Lands Four-Star Virginia Wideout Travis Johnson PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Travis Johnson is a tall, springy wide receiver who can use his frame to his ad- vantage as a bigger bodied outside pass catcher. He is an excellent jump ball winner, but he's more than just a tall target. Johnson is an elite level route runner who can also make plenty of plays out of the slot. He consistently finds ways to get open and is very crafty with his releases and breaks. He's also a willing blocker. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Johnson certainly has adequate play speed, but he's not a burner. While he can get vertical, his game is built more around his routes, athleticism and finesse. It would be nice to see Johnson get faster in U-M's strength and conditioning program. Other than high level speed, he checks all the boxes. MICHIGAN PLAYER COMPARISON: It's hard to find a Michigan player comparison for Johnson, but he does share some similarities with former pass catcher Cornelius Johnson. Both were 6-foot-3 wide receivers who didn't have elite speed but were very productive at the high school level. Cornelius was a late-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Travis has the potential to be even better. — EJ Holland Johnson is tabbed as the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 131 overall player in the country by Rivals. PHOTO BY MATTHEW HATFIELD/VIRGINIAPREPS.COM