In Michigan's second most significant Michigan athletics departure this month (and very hopefully the last), defensive lineman Ron Johnson has entered the transfer portal, via Cole Cubelic, via Isaiah Hole of WolverinesWire.

Michigan DL Ron Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) May 24, 2019

A 2016 Garden State recruit from the "nice try fencing the garden" class, the borderline four-star WDE prospect spent most of his Michigan career as the player the wonks occasionally brought up to show we have the roster memorized. His name briefly surfaced in spring 2017 as a guy willing to try defensive tackle when most of the options were nursing minor injuries or coming back from major ones. That's usually an ominous sign for a guy they hoped would be a rush end, ominous enough that we came close to naming the redshirt freshman under "Getting Late Early" in 2017 HTTV.

Indeed Johnson spent most of his Michigan career on the scout team as various defensive end recruits arrived and passed him. With that list now including 2018s Aidan Hutchinson, Julius Welschof, and Taylor Upshaw, and 2019 early enrollee David Ojabo, Johnson's only route to playing time was hoping he could make that unlikely DT transition.

Johnson has completed his coursework to graduate and will have two seasons of eligibility wherever he winds up. By my count Michigan's now at 81 scholarships for 2019, with one more in wait in case Chris Evans can make it back, and the other three openings reserved for walk-ons Tru Wilson, Jordan Glasgow, and Will Hart if they don't find another grad transfer they want.