Coach | 2022 DB Will Johnson Checks A Lot Of Boxes

William Johnson‍ has emerged as one of the top defensive back prospects in the Class of 2022, not just in the Midwest, but in the entire country.

The 2022 Michigan standout recently added Notre Dame to a list of scholarship offers that already included schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Nebraska, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Kentucky among several others.

Defensive back coach Kason Dickerson has worked with Johnson for two, going on three, years now and isn’t surprised.

“I think it’s his competitive nature,” says Dickerson. “He’s a great competitor. He competes at a high level. His tenacity, his football savviness. Will’s a good kid with a high IQ and he’s very, very sound in his technique and he’s very patient and disciplined.

“He’s a big-time player who makes big-time plays. He’s not shying away from anybody with a name or anybody who’s ranked. That’s one thing about him. He wants to be the best.”

The Grosse Point South High School standout also has the physical gifts necessary to succeed at the highest level.

“He has a very, very, very, very long wingspan,” says Dickerson. “He can play in space really, really well. He has great lateral quickness. He jumps out of the gym.”

Johnson is also a standout basketball player and runs track .

“He’s a physical specimen, standing about 6-2, 180 pounds, he looks the part,” Dickerson continues. “He’s very long, he’s very fluid in his ball skills. He’s just a pure, natural athlete.”

Johnson’s father, Deon Johnson, played cornerback for Michigan back in the 90s.

“I think a ton of it comes from his dad,” Dickerson says. “His dad, I call him Coach Johnson, he doesn’t seem to get in Will’s way or try to make Will follow certain directions or anything like that. What he does is build him up.

“He talks to him about football and the things he learned at the University of Michigan and how to apply some of the things he learned and translate them to the field. I think a significant amount comes from his dad and I think his dad knows how to teach him without putting any pressure on him.”

While Johnson’s size and athleticism makes him a coveted corner prospect, Dickerson is working to making him even more versatile.

“We’re working on him getting in the safety rotation now,” the coach says. “He’s been playing corner his whole life and is very comfortable there.

“We’re just trying to get him more versatile, work him in at safety, let him cover the areas as a one-high safety over the top or a half-deep man, reading some of those concepts coming from safety as opposed to corner so he can read route trees quick and dissect offenses fast.”

Johnson checks the boxes off the field too, according to Dickerson.

“He has great character,” he says. “He’s a high character guy. He’s a great student, a great student-athlete. He’s very humble, very, very humble. He’s a soft-spoken kid, but he doesn’t belittle his teammates. He’s always encouraging guys to do better.

“He has a great work ethic. He stays active and stays around guys who are doing things he’s doing whether it’s football, basketball or running track or from an academic standpoint. Will is a high, high character guy. If Notre Dame was to end up getting him, they’d be getting a great value.”

But at this point, it’s a little early to know for sure where the Irish or anybody stand on Johnson’s list.

“I think he’s excited about the whole process,” Dickerson says. “I don’t think he’s made a clear-cut decision on his top schools yet. I think he’s just enjoying the process and playing it by ear and letting everything flow organically.”