3 thoughts on return of Quentin Johnson to Michigan football

Michigan football didn’t land a key transfer on Monday night, but the Wolverines might as well have. Quentin Johnson, who declared for the 2024 NFL draft, was part of an NIL announcement on Monday night and it’s been confirmed that he’s officially back with the Wolverines.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound safety will play a sixth season for Michigan football. He had an extra season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the NIL deal was used to sway him to return. Johnson might not have been drafted, but with his special teams prowess (over 600 snaps the past three seasons in the kicking game), there’s a good chance he could have made a 53-man roster.

Instead, he’ll get another chance to show what he can do, in an expanded role in the secondary. With that in mind, here are three thoughts on the return of Quinten Johnson to Michigan football.

Depth is critical

Football is a game of attrition. You have to have quality backups and Michigan football is no different. Last season, Johnson was the fourth safety on the depth chart and played 323 snaps. He had 28 tackles, an interception, and some key pass breakups as well as the forced fumble on Jalen Milroe in the Rose Bowl.

Johnson flashed signs of being an impact player and this season, he’ll get to show that. I don’t think he starts, but Johnson will get plenty of snaps in the secondary. Michigan football is expected to use more big nickel (safety in the slot) than last season, partially due to the loss of Mike Sainristil.

You want your best players on the field and in the secondary, it feels like Johnson is one of the five or six best players. Beyond that, if there’s an injury at safety — both Moore and Paige missed time last season — Johnson can step in and the defense should have little dropoff.

A big win for special teams

Fans want to discount the kicking game. Yet, good teams are usually good on special teams. We saw that with Michigan football over the past few seasons. The Wolverines were as solid on special teams as any team in college football. They have been particularly strong with their coverage units and getting Johnson back is tremendously important.

Bringing back a dude with over 600 snaps since 2021 on special teams is huge. That’s one area where losing so many veterans can hurt, but it’s not talked about as much. Johnson excels in that area of the game and the Wolveriners are adding a playmaker on special teams too, even if that gets overlooked.

Added flexibility

The more good players you have, the more flexibility you tend to have and that’s true of the Michigan football secondary. Lamar Morgan is getting an experienced piece back in Johnson, which is important because of the lack of experience at cornerback.

Will Johnson is a dude. We know what he can do. Ja’Den McBurrows played well down the stretch and could be the No. 2 or No. 3 corner. But there’s no question the Wolverines have some question marks. That makes being solid at safety even more important.

The presence of Johnson could allow Moore and Paige to be used differently. That was the plan for Michigan football if Sabb had stayed. Now, Johnson takes on the third safety role. I still think Berry works his way into the mix and there are youngsters to watch at cornerback too such as Jyaire Hill and Myles Pollard.

Overall, getting a starting-caliber player to return at this point in the offseason is a huge for Michigan football and its secondary which needed reinforcements.

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