Who Will Start At Cornerback Opposite Will Johnson?

Michigan's roster is absolutely loaded across the board. On defense, just about every position goes two or three deep, except for cornerback. With Gemon Green and DJ Turner both off to the NFL, one spot is wide open for the taking. Rising sophomore Will Johnson was outstanding as a true freshman and will likely never come off the field in 2023. But opposite him, there is a pretty big question mark. Michigan has some talented, yet unproven, athletes waiting their turn so it's going to be a battle to see who can lock down the other CB spot.

In The Hunt

1 - Ja'Den McBurrows

Right now, McBurrows is more known for getting jumped by several cowardly Spartans than he is for what he's done on the field, but that has a chance to change. The 5-11, 206-pounder has dealt with some injuries while at Michigan but during his true freshman season he was getting some solid reviews. It'll be interesting to see if he can get back to that in 2023, his third year on campus.

3 - Keon Sabb

Sabb was viewed more as a safety coming out of high school but at 6-1, 208 pounds he's got great fluidity and could probably play corner if he started working out there. He didn't play much this past year as a true freshman but he could get a look opposite Johnson.

10 - Zeke Berry

Berry is a similar type of player in terms of his background. He was once a four-star safety, but at 5-11, 197 pounds, he does have more of a cornerback build and he's been practicing there some per someone close to the program. 

12 - Kody Jones

At 5-11, 193 pounds, Jones also has a more traditional cornerback build but he's not quite as lengthy as Berry. He doesn't look like he could bulk up as much as the others, so his future appears to be more at nickel. If he's got the opportunity to learn under Mike Sainristil, he should capitalize on that.

24 - Myles Pollard

Pollard looks more like Johnson — long, lanky and plenty capable of matching up with bigger-bodied wide receivers. At 6-1, 191, he's a little slight, and probably has the furthest to go in terms of technique and being ready for regular reps, but he's got some nice physical tools to work with.

Wild Cards

0 - Mike Sainristil

The previously mentioned Sainristil was an absolute wizard as a nickel for Michigan this past year, which makes you think he could probably excel as a true cornerback as well. The problem is, you could be compromising two positions if you move him. The better approach is to probably leave him at nickel, where he should be even better, and bring along a young prospect at corner. However, if you need a guy to step out wide and cover someone, Agent 0 would probably do just fine as he has worked out there.

4 - Amorion Walker

The biggest question mark of them all is Walker. The rising sophomore is listed at 6-3, 180 pounds, but he's bigger than that. He's all of 6-4 and has certainly bulked up during his time at U-M. Currently listed as a wide receiver on Michigan's roster, Walker actually played some in-game reps at cornerback earlier this season. The reps didn't last, but he's obviously getting a hard look on the defensive side of the ball. If he's smart, like Sainristil was, he might want to move over there since passing isn't a huge part of Michigan's offense. 

Michigan did ink three cornerbacks in the 2023 class — Jyaire Hill, Cameron Calhoun and D'Juan Waller Jr. — but none of them bring Johnson-like skills to the table as rookies, so expecting one of them to step up is probably unrealistic. There is always the transfer portal as well, which Michigan has been using perfectly thus far. If defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale and Co. identify someone in the portal who could help out at cornerback, it's very realistic that U-M would pursue them with an impeccable track record of landing who they want from that pool.