Michigan QB comes out of medical retirement, enters NCAA transfer portal
It appeared that the college football career of JD Johnson was over before it started, but there’s new hope that he’ll be able to suit up for another program.
Before enrolling at Michigan as a member of the 2020 recruiting class, Johnson was told he would not be able to play college football because of a medical issue. Head coach Jim Harbaugh still honored his scholarship and allowed the quarterback to join the team as a student assistant.
Now, Johnson has announced that he is coming out of medical retirement and will enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. He posted about his decision on Twitter.
ALL GLORY TO GOD🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/YCaUwg7HFd
— JD Johnson (@jd10johnson) December 10, 2021
“My experience at the University of Michigan has been unbelievably position,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. “When I was instructed that I shouldn’t play anymore because of health risks, Coach Harbaugh didn’t hesitate to let me know that he wanted me to be part of the program and that he was going to honor my scholarship.
“This summer, I was re-evaluated by a world-renowned cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who concluded that I should be permitted to play college football. Again, Coach Harbaugh immediately responded with his full support of me exploring options. The character and player priority focus that Coach Harbaugh has is evident to why this team is qualified to play for the national championship.”
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Johnson was ranked as the No. 17 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class. Overall, he was listed as the No. 475 prospect, per 247Sports Composite.
During his recruitment, Johnson received offers from Michigan, Arizona, Colorado State, Oregon, Oregon State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and UNLV.