Matt Hartwell covers all things Michigan football related for Maize n Brew and runs the social media accounts.
Michigan's star cornerback Will Johnson will remain sidelined for this Saturday's game against No. 8 Indiana, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Johnson, a crucial player in the Wolverines' secondary and widely regarded as one of the top cornerback prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft, continues to recover from a lower-body injury he suffered on Oct. 19 in the game against Illinois.
Since sustaining the injury, which is reportedly turf toe, Johnson has missed two key matchups -- one against Michigan State and another against top-ranked Oregon. His absence has been a challenge for Michigan's defense, which relies heavily on Johnson's athleticism and playmaking ability in the secondary.
Johnson had been impressive leading up to his injury. He has two pick-sixes -- an impressive 86-yard return against Fresno State and a 42-yard interception return vs. USC -- along with 14 tackles and three pass deflections.
Head coach Sherrone Moore addressed Johnson's injury status in a press conference last week, emphasizing the cornerback's determination to return despite fan rumors saying he may be shutting it down for the season.
"Yeah, I think he'll for sure (be back) this season," Moore said. "We'll see how it works out this week and what he can do. So we'll just let the doctors handle that.
"Will has no plan of just shutting it down or anything like that. Will, if he could go out there, he would go out there in a heartbeat, and I know that he'll be back out there at some point this season, whether it's this week, next week, whatever it is, and there's zero, zero doubt in my mind that he's a competitor that wants to be out there with his teammates, so I know he'll be back."
The absence of Johnson will again require Michigan's secondary to step up against a highly-ranked Indiana team. Jyaire Hill missed last week's game against Oregon, but it seems like he is trending in the right direction to suit up in tomorrow's game vs. Indiana.