Donovan Johnson of IMG Academy in Savannah commits to Michigan Football
As a freshman at Calvary Day in 2021, Donovan Johnson quickly emerged as one of the most promising running back prospects in the country.
He was selected to the All-Greater Savannah first team after rushing for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns. Johnson received his first offer from UCF at the end of the season and played in the Adidas FBU Freshman All-American Bowl.
At the end of the school year, Johnson announced that he would head south to Bradenton, Florida, to play at IMG Academy.
As a sophomore, Johnson made an impression at IMG, a nationally top team, but a knee injury and subsequent surgery forced him to sit out his junior season.
The setback didn’t affect his recruitment, as the 6-foot-1, 215-pound player, who combines speed with strength and excellent vision, became a four-star prospect and has offers from 45 of the country’s top programs, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida State, USC and Ohio State.
But Johnson will be heading north to another national power. He visited Michigan last week and announced his commitment to the Wolverines on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
“I was impressed after talking to Coach (head coach Sherrone) Moore and Coach (running backs coach Tony) Alford,” Johnson said in a phone interview Tuesday. “They welcomed me with open arms and I liked the players and the general atmosphere at the school. They sat down and talked to me about things beyond football and they were very genuine people.”
Johnson said coaches took him into the film room and analyzed his highlights.
“They were honest with me and I think Michigan has the tools to develop into a better player,” Johnson said. “I like how they use the running back in their offense and how they create space in the passing game. I think I can improve there.”
Johnson said it was a difficult decision to leave Calvary Day, which has become a recruiting stronghold in Georgia, and join IMG, but he believes it was the right choice.
“It was a wonderful experience,” Johnson said. “Playing for Coach (head coach Billy) Miller helped me get better. He used to be the special teams coach at Tampa Bay and we have a lot of coaches who have played in the NFL or coached college football. And I got to compete against some of the best players in the country every day at practice. Birds of a feather flock together and I think that helped me improve as a player.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Reach him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
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