REPORT: Michigan football star defender underwent surgery during offseason

The sky is the limit for star Michigan football defensive back Will Johnson in 2023. Still, he may need a little extra work to get back into the swing of things as The Michigan Insider revealed he underwent knee surgery in the offseason.

Star defensive back Will Johnson expects to be back for Michigan football in 2023 despite knee surgery

Injuries are never a good thing, especially when surgery is involved. Toward the end of the 2022 season, Will Johnson suffered a toe injury which has handicapped him most of the offseason. Aside from that, we didn’t know much more. However, today, The Michigan Insider revealed that Will Johnson also needed to undergo knee surgery. Here’s what Johnson had to say regarding his injuries:

“I’m going good. My toe is good. I had to have knee surgery, so that was a big injury this summer for me,” he said. “I’m just rehabbing. It’s on progress and it’s going pretty good. I’ll be ready for the season.”

The last sentence is especially reassuring, considering for many injuries, surgery could mean up to a year on the sideline. If Johnson returns to the field before the start of 2023, he should be ready to go by the season opener versus East Carolina.

In the interview, Johnson described the surgery as a “minor scope” and expects to be back by the time fall camp starts. For context, fall camp begins August 1, 2023, so he still has two more months before it starts.

Despite injury, Johnson is viewed as one of the best defensive backs in college football

Already, Will Johnson is widely viewed as one of the defensive backs in college football. Pro Football Focus recently revealed a list of the top returning cornerbacks in 2023. Will Johnson was listed as a top three choice and he’s only a true sophomore.

In fact, they graded him as one of the best cornerbacks in college football last season, coming in with an 88.2. For context, the only player who graded higher was Minnesota’s Terell Smith, who came out with a 91.4.

Highest graded Cornerbacks in man coverage this season:

❌ Terell Smith (Minnesota): 91.4
❌ Will Johnson (Michigan): 88.3
❌ Tyler Baker-Williams (N.C. State): 88.3 pic.twitter.com/ks7XSnhHjK

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 15, 2022

During the 2022 season, Johnson recorded 27 tackles, three pass deflections and three interceptions. In addition, he recorded two of his three interceptions during the Big Ten Championship.

If he is to improve on his freshman campaign, rehab this summer will be imperative. He has all the talent in the world and could easily become a superstar over the next couple of years. For now though, it’s time to get healthy.

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