Will Johnson injury puts defensive star in question for Big Ten Championship

The No. 2 Michigan football team might coin itself as a no-star defense, but it’s lying.

Among other skilled contributors, sophomore cornerback Will Johnson has cemented himself as a radiant talent out wide. He has made a fan of legends like Charles Woodson, who shares his famed No. 2 on his jersey with Johnson. He even earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for his stardom.

But nursing an injured leg he tweaked in a 30-24 win against Ohio State, Johnson’s availability is in question for this Saturday’s Big Ten Championship against Iowa. And no matter how weak the Hawkeyes’ offense might be, the absence of such a talented contributor would be a major loss for the defense.

“My best ability is availability,” Johnson said Tuesday. “… I’ll do whatever I can to be out there Saturday, but if that’s not the case then I’ll be back next time we play.”

Johnson maintained that the injury is unrelated to one he suffered over the summer, but it is hindering him nonetheless. While he was able to be at practice Tuesday, he said his availability Saturday will hinge on how his leg feels.

Should he not play, the Wolverines’ defense becomes weaker. Iowa might have one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten, so this isn’t a case to sound the alarm. Nevertheless, his level of play helps the defense in a way that was evident in his limited action against the Buckeyes.

Saturday, he faced star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. nearly every snap the cornerback took. With a key first-quarter interception to his name and a few stops against one of college football’s best receivers, Johnson showed his talent, so much so that he earned “Michigan legend” honors from Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday even though he didn’t finish the game.

Make no mistake, Johnson didn’t just show up and clamp Harrison. Instead, much of his talent comes from preparation, which eventually led to that interception.

“I kind of had an idea what the play might have been, what they might have ran, that he was probably gonna run that slant,” Johnson explained. “So really just trying to kind of bait them into it a little bit and not let them know that I knew it was coming, but jump it once I saw it.”

That’s the blend of talent and preparation that he brings to the defense, making him invaluable against any opponent from Ohio State to Iowa. Michigan has the talent to shut down a team like the Hawkeyes with players like graduate cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace. But against teams with a better passing attack in the future, it will want him for those games.

As more than three touchdown favorites against Iowa, the Wolverines still say they’re not overlooking the championship game. But with big games down the road — namely the College Football Playoff if they beat the Hawkeyes — they’ll want Johnson to be at full strength.

Johnson himself wants to be on the field for big games, something he made clear against the Buckeyes. Sitting on the sidelines in big moments frustrated him. In the biggest game of the season, he could only watch his teammates work without him until the clock hit zeroes.

“Really just mad, mad at myself that I can’t be out there, mad that I can’t support my teammates, but I know they have my back,” Johnson said. “They all told me they have my back and not to worry about it. So just trying to stay supporting them, stay positive, that was really my mindset for it.”

Whether Johnson plays against the Hawkeyes or not, Michigan can’t just replace him one-for-one. So, it is likely they limit his play if he isn’t up to full speed. There might be big games ahead of him that they’ll want him healthy for.

The Wolverines might brand themselves as a no-star defense, but it truly becomes one when players like Johnson are absent. With his availability in question, Michigan could see what that looks like this weekend.