Michigan loses second running back Drake Johnson for 2013

Michigan is set at the feature running back position, but they already are less deep at tailback as their No. 2 RB is now out for the entire 2013 season.

Listed as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart, Drake Johnson will miss the remainder of the 2013 season due to injury, head coach Brady Hoke confirmed Monday.  Johnson suffered a torn ACL covering a second-half kickoff in the season opening win over Central Michigan at the Big House.

Johnson took the ball just twice before having his season shut down.

“You just hate it for Drake, but he’s as tough as anyone on this football team, and he will make it back from this,” Hoke said in a statement sent out by the school. “He worked so hard through his redshirt season and had a really good camp in backing up Fitz (Toussaint), not to mention he was a really valuable special teams player for us.”

With Johnson’s injury, true freshman Derrick Green has officially slid into the No. 2 spot on the most recent depth chart. Green, a five-star member of UM’s 2013 recruiting class and rated as the top back in the country, led the Wolverines in rushing in the opener with 58 yards on 11 carries. With Johnson out of the picture Green’s arrival on the Michigan scene might just arrive sooner than expected as big things are expected of the top recruit.

Junior Thomas Rawls and freshman De’Veon Smith could also see their roles increased beginning this week against Notre Dame. Johnson’s injury will be a key storyline to watch as the Wolverines try to avenge the Golden Domers for last years defeat. The load on Fitz Toussaint has now been even more increased, the question being if he can handle the workload against the Fighting Irish defence.