Johnson, Graham are HMs on CFN Frosh All-American Team
Will Johnson and Mason Graham are Honorable Mentions on the College Football News Freshman All-American Team for 2022.
https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/12/college-football-news-freshman-all-america-team-2022
December 7th, 2022 at 12:58 AM ^
I counted 142 freshmen players in all. And, there is a school very familiar to us that had ZERO freshmen on the list.
Does not bode well for the Buckeyes that they had no players on the list! Very encouraging for us. The Ohio State recruiting dominance may be waning.
Unless they have a ton of four and five stars that were redshirted. Does anyone know if this is the case?
December 7th, 2022 at 7:11 AM ^
Yeah seems more like they just have such a ridiculous pile of depth burying their young talent. Though not at guard, apparently.
December 7th, 2022 at 7:54 AM ^
I wouldn’t read too much at this point into it. Marvin Harrison Jr didn’t receive a meaningful snap last year until the Rose Bowl when Olave and Wilson sat out.
However, some of their big 5*’s like Julian Fleming have been the players they hoped
December 7th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
Dude, the Bucks have five more five-stars on their roster than the rest of the Big Ten combined. Fourteen (!) for OSU, three for U-M, three for Penn State, and one each for Maryland, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
I wouldn't count your chickens. They're not going anywhere.
December 7th, 2022 at 1:01 AM ^
Excuse me while I thank the football gods for our gift and disregard this no-name listicle
December 7th, 2022 at 1:20 AM ^
Noice
December 7th, 2022 at 2:16 AM ^
Honorable mention? There isn't a freshman CB or DL that I would trade them for.
These guys are 1st teamers and future 1st rd. Picks.
Also, fuck ohio!
December 7th, 2022 at 7:58 AM ^
Agreed but hopefully the snub keeps them motivated to prove everyone wrong.
December 7th, 2022 at 8:25 AM ^
With regard to Will Johnson...it will always be difficult to earn 1st or 2nd team all Freshmen when a team has the ability to ease freshman in like Michigan did with Johnson. He didn't start until late in the season and won't have the counting stats that a player who had to start from day 1 has. All-Freshman isn't necessarily the best player, but the player who had the best season, so when it comes time to vote, media members that can't watch every game have to choose somehow. The easiest way to separate players is by looking at stats.
December 7th, 2022 at 9:31 AM ^
Same goes for Graham - he wasn't a 'starter', either.
December 7th, 2022 at 5:53 AM ^
Honorable mention?!?! These awards are a joke!
December 7th, 2022 at 6:12 AM ^
Wonderful. Good for them, and for UM.
December 7th, 2022 at 6:32 AM ^
Being a high level contributor on one of in not the top defenses in the country gets a Michigan player HM. There are many reasons to not respect the narratives these "experts" try to sell-this is just another one.
December 7th, 2022 at 7:13 AM ^
Not first team. Not second team. Not third team. These guys must not watch much college football if they think there are 6 or more freshman corners better than Johnson, and 6 or more DT better than Graham.
December 7th, 2022 at 8:36 AM ^
i mean, some of the dudes on these lists are actually RS freshmen, and a lot of them are starters.
it's easier to justify giving awards to dudes who are starters because they naturally rack up more stats.
kind of a flawed award, just like rookie of the year awards...
December 7th, 2022 at 7:45 AM ^
It's really, really unusual to see a true freshman DT play at the level Graham did this year. Somewhat more common to see true freshman CBs ball out, but Johnson also had a monster year. I'd need to see some really compelling evidence to trade either of those guys--or Colston Loveland--for any other true freshman in the nation at their positions
December 7th, 2022 at 8:34 AM ^
It should be noted that Michigan doesn't play the kind of defensive schemes that build fancy stats, in addition to being adverse to putting freshmen in as starters until they have some seasoning. I wouldn't feel disrespected over Will and Mason only getting HM. As the guy above said, you wouldn't trade them for any other freshmen. In time, they will earn the accolades which their talent merits.
December 7th, 2022 at 9:25 AM ^
No Colston Loveland??
December 7th, 2022 at 9:35 AM ^
Colston Loveland is one of, if not THE, best freshman TE's in the country, but 12 catches for 199 yards and 2 TDs just isn't enough to be a freshman All American.
The 1st team TE had 46 catches for 498 yards and 5 TDs.
Talent level aside, that's a better season.
December 7th, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
Counterpoint: I think it's a positive sign that Michigan doesn't have many players on the All-Freshman team.
More freshman getting significant playing time is typically a bad sign overall for a team.
Shows that a team has a lack of experienced talent.
And experienced talent is typically what makes for a winning record and success on the field.
December 7th, 2022 at 9:52 AM ^
By the end of 2023 both Johnson and Graham will have made a mockery of these rankings.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:25 AM ^
Deone Walker, former UM target and UK commit, making the team is cool for him. He apparently was all-SEC second team. Still happy UM got Graham but Walker turning into a very good player.
Had Johnson played all year he's probably on the 1st team.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^
So there’s a better Freshman DT out there? Not likely…