Wolverines’ Will Johnson had inside intel on his College Football

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

• Elder WriterJul 17, 2024, 12:10 PM ET Close College football reporter.
• Signed up with ESPN.com in 2008.
• Graduate of Northwestern University.As college football players excitedly awaited their rankings in EA Sports College Football 25, Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson had a respectable intel source.Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards, one of three players on the cover of the much-anticipated game, started playing College Football 25 before its release this month, and he hinted that Johnson projected well in the game. Johnson is among 3 players to receive an overall ranking of 96, however he is slotted ahead of LSU Tigers offensive take on Will Campbell and Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II. Edwards ranks 49th in general, while Michigan defensive take on Mason Graham is No. 8 and tight end Colston Loveland is No. 33. Game. Changers. Here are the Leading 10 Gamers in #CFB 25 See our Leading 100: https://t.co/hPGNnX5m2V pic.twitter.com/uyWDm7Pja1!.?.!— EASPORTSCollege(

@EASPORTSCollege )July 10, 2024″[

Edwards] was simply stating I was actually great and he was showing me my total,”Johnson informed ESPN.”And another dude there was

like,’You’re probably the highest-rated player in the game.’There are only a few 96s, and it’s either me, Will Campbell or Ollie Gordon. I wasn’t on the cover, so I believed I wouldn’t be greater than individuals on the cover. So when they stated that, I was shocked.” Johnson was a first-team All-Big 10 choice in 2023 and made defensive MVP honors in Michigan’s national championship game win over Washington. He completed with four interceptions

, one returned for a touchdown, and 27 takes on. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound junior is ESPN’s top-draft qualified cornerback for 2025 and No. 7 overall on Jordan Reid’s mock draft.After player ratings were released, Johnson’s phone constantly buzzed with text messages.”It sort of started right there,”Johnson said. “It’s simply a true blessing, the first game to come back out, everyone’s been waiting on it, everybody’s been playing it, and I’m the highest-rated player.”Editor’s Picks Johnson said he anticipated a strong ranking

despite playing

most of last season at around 75-80%healthwise, due to a lower-leg injury. He has actually played the game extensively since its release, noting it’s the group’s top activity throughout leisure time weeks before preseason camp begins.After playing Madden NFL games for years, Johnson likes the obstacles and nuances that College Football 25 offers.”Madden can be super video-gamey, where you can just find hacks to it and it makes it truly simple, when you find out how to

play,”he said.” This one, there’s most likely some things that have to adjust, but it’s more difficult to deal with, more difficult to make tosses, it’s just different animations. It’s more individual, the information to it, just with the celebrations, the stadium, the fans, the culture, the groups, all that things. They record it well.”