From The Road: Thoughts, notes on Michigan commits Kaden Strayhorn, Donovan Johnson

*** I made my way to national powerhouse Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy on Friday for their annual media day. IMG is home to a pair of Michigan commits in On300 running back Donovan Johnson and three-star offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn . Unfortunately, we were only able to watch the walk thru portion of practice, so there aren’t that many takeaways from a practice standpoint. After the walk thru, we also had a brief opportunity to see the guys lift before heading inside for interviews. That means observations were very limited.

*** With that said, I can report that Johnson is running with the first team offense. Johnson looked really good going through speed training when I saw him in Savannah a couple of weeks ago, and it was great to see him in pads this weekend. Johnson has been fully cleared from a torn ACL that kept him out all of last season, and he’s excited to show what he can do. IMG head coach Billy Miller said Johnson has looked healthy through their first week of camp and that he will play a significant role this year. I do expect Johnson to start, but IMG will rotate him with 2027 running back Tranard Roberts , who notched a U-M offer in the spring. Johnson looked impressive in the weight room and has a great build at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds.

*** I also visited IMG in the spring, and Strayhorn was playing center for the team. This time around, Strayhorn was running with the first team offense at right tackle, which is what he played last year when I saw him in-game. I was a bit disappointed that Strayhorn wasn’t getting more center work. I don’t think he’ll have an issue making the transition at the next level, but I would liked to have seen him follow the Jake Guarnera path. Remember, Guarnera started at tackle for his high school team before becoming a full-time center as a senior in order to prepare for his arrival at Michigan.

*** The experience at tackle did help Guarnera with pass pro in the interior, and I expect the same for Strayhorn once he transitions at U-M. While Guarnera was quicker and more athletic, Strayhorn is stronger and plays with a nasty streak — though, Guarnera was pretty good at finishing blocks himself. It’s hard to grade high school centers super high in the recruiting rankings, but I think Strayhorn has an argument as the best in the country — much like Guarnera did a year ago. Again, I wish we would have been able to see him there this season. Overall, Michigan has a bright future at center with Guarnera and Strayhorn in the fold.

*** From a culture standpoint, both Strayhorn and Johnson are great fits for Michigan. Yes, Strayhorn is a Michigan State legacy, but as I’ve said in the past, I always felt like he gravitated more towards Michigan. When IMG head coach Billy Miller was asked about leaders on the team, it was no surprise to hear him mention Strayhorn. By the way, Strayhorn told me he’s working hard to recruit five-star offensive lineman Andrew Babalola and Alabama commit Michael Carroll, who is now his high school teammate at IMG. Everyone knows how fond I am of Johnson. He’s another great kid with a passion for the game and a relentless work ethic. Both Johnson and Strayhorn are also recruiting teammate and On300 linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng , who was not present at the event due to a foot injury.

The post From The Road: Thoughts, notes on Michigan commits Kaden Strayhorn, Donovan Johnson appeared first on On3 .