The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1184078
48 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2019 BY EJ HOLLAND F our-star 2020 U-M quarterback commit JD Johnson will no longer be able to suit up for the Wolverines. The Phoenix Pinnacle product an- nounced he would be retiring from football due to medical complications. Johnson was born with coarctation of the aorta, which the Mayo Clinic defines as a narrowing of the aorta, the large blood vessel that branches off from the heart and delivers oxy- gen-rich blood to the body. Unfortunately for Johnson, doc- tors determined that issues stem- ming from this could not be cor- rected through surgery. According to Johnson, doctors feared that his aorta could rupture or that not enough blood would get to his brain, which — in turn — would cause a stroke. While Johnson can no longer play football, Michigan will still honor his scholarship. "Coach [Jim] Harbaugh called af- ter receiving the news of my test re- sults," Johnson said. "Unsure and scared to what the conversation was going to be, Coach, without hesita- tion, said that my scholarship would be honored and offered me a position to join the Wolverine staff and help anyway I can. "I am witness to Coach Harbaugh's character and integrity. In a situa- tion where he has every reason to say, 'Good luck with your future,' he means what he says and stands behind his commitments when he could have taken the easy way out. He demonstrated a high level of loy- alty to a player that will never throw a touchdown pass for him." Johnson originally committed to Michigan over offers from Arizona, Colorado State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and UNLV in December 2018. He played in nine games as a senior this season, throw- ing for 2,100 yards and 20 touch- downs, helping lead Pinnacle to an ap- pearance in the Arizona state playoffs. Before retiring, Johnson was ranked as the No. 10 pro-style quar- terback and No. 200 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class by Rivals. With Johnson technically no lon- ger part of Michigan's class, the Wol- verines are down to 22 commits this cycle. Michigan is looking to add at least a few more prospects before Na- tional Signing Day. U-M PICKS UP SEARCH FOR 2020 QB When it comes to recruiting, quar- terbacks are often the first prospects to fly off the board. Signal-callers like former U-M commitment JD Johnson can make a decision almost a year in advance. With Johnson no longer able to play football (see above note), the Wolverines are left with a huge void at the position. U-M obviously has to get past the tragic news of Johnson's health. The Wolverines believed he would com- pete to be the quarterback of the future. There aren't many viable options left on the board, but Michigan has al- ready made one prospect in particular its top overall target — four-star Ran- cho Cucamonga (Calif.) quarterback CJ Stroud, the No. 12 pro-style quarter- back in the country according to Rivals. Stroud was a late riser on the re- cruiting scene. He went from no-name prospect to winner of the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback competition to the most sought after uncommitted quarterback in the country. Michigan put an offer on the table for Stroud just days after Johnson announced his retirement. And head coach Jim Harbaugh is personally leading the way in this recruitment. "I'm very excited about Michigan," Stroud said. "Coach Harbaugh is a leg- endary coach. Just having that respect from him is great. It shows that I've come a long way, and that I haven't touched the surface of what I can do. "When they offered, he talked to me about what happened with JD and what they think about me as a quarterback. We also talked about the system and stuff like that." Ohio State is considered the favorite for Stroud at this point in the process. Georgia and Oregon are major players MICHIGAN RECRUITING Quarterback Commit JD Johnson Forced To Give Up Football Johnson was forced to retire from football due to a medical condition that could not be cor- rected by surgery, but U-M will still honor his scholarship. PHOTO BY RALPH AMSDEN/COURTESY RIVALS.COM