4-star RB commitment says Michigan football is getting a ‘monster’

Four-star running back Donovan Johnson is one of the most interesting commitments so far for Michigan football in the 2025 class.

Johnson is recovering from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his junior season. Yet, when he was healthy, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back averaged 8.1 yards per carry.

The blue-chip back from the IMG Academy worked out for the Wolverines before they took him and he took a mid-week visit to Ann Arbor last week before announcing his commitment last weekend.

Michigan football coaches obviously liked what they saw. Johnson is now one of two running backs in the class but he’s also one with major upside after being ranked among the top 100 in the 2025 class before his injury.

That’s the kind of player Johnson can be. Even now, he’s ranked No. 232 overall in the 2025 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He’s 16th among running backs and didn’t even play last season.

Donovan Johnson can be a dude

Watching his highlights, Johnson looks like a top-10 prospect at the position and a dude with even top-50 overall potential. His ranking will be interesting to watch this season. He told Brice Marich of The Michigan Insider this week that he’ll be playing this season for IMG. He also told the reporter that Michigan football is getting a “monster” in the blue-chip running back.

There was some hope Michgan could land Jordon Davison in the 2025 class to pair with Johnson and Jasper Parker, but Oregon has emerged as the favorite. That means U-M is probably sticking with two running back commitments which makes it even more important that Johnson delivers on his promise.

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