The Cincinnati native went from high school to Michigan football, where he joined the program for the College Football Playoff. Then came spring practice and academics and preparing for his freshman season with the Wolverines.
“The experience has been good. It’s been very fast,” Calhoun told The Michigan Insider this week. “Coming out of high school, going straight into college schoolwork, getting to know the playbook — everything is way different and it’s way faster. Adapting to all that was a little hard, but now everything is good, it’s smooth.”
The playbook in particular is a significant adjustment for the former four-star prospect. Defensive assignments change based on offensive motion and other factors, and DBs have to understand and execute those nuances at game speed.
But Calhoun has teammates who have helped mentor him through the college transition. Will Johnson, who joined him Friday night at the Art Fair for an NIL function arranged by Stadium and Main, is among those defensive leaders. So are Rod Moore and Mike Sainristil — a player who Calhoun says can provide depth anywhere in the secondary if needed.
Like teammate Jyaire Hill, Calhoun says he wants to emulate what Will Johnson accomplished last fall. A former five-star prospect, Johnson didn’t start until the second half of the 2022 season but got his first interception that night. Then he helped shut down Ohio State’s prolific offense and added two INTs against Purdue to secure a Big Ten title.
Calhoun made an impression during spring practices, with a pick-six one of his highlights during the first 15 practices. Realistically, Calhoun expects he’s more likely to make an early impact on special teams, where he expects to play on coverage. But he’ll also push for a role as a returner, because “people think I’m not fast” and he wants to prove otherwise.
“He just always seems to be around the football,” Jim Harbaugh said of Calhoun as a prospect.
The nature of Michigan’s non-conference schedule, plus Will Johnson’s offseason surgery and the Wolverines’ ongoing search for a second starting cornerback, also presents an opportunity for Calhoun and others.
One of those CB2 possibilities is newcomer Josh Wallace, who transferred into the program in June from Massachusetts. The grad transfer has impressed Calhoun.
“I thought he would be an average transfer, but he’s different,” Calhoun said, explaining Wallace’s physical traits and his quick mastery of the playbook mean he’ll contribute a lot this fall.
As for Calhoun? He’s counting down the days until fall camp while working with Michigan’s strength and conditioning staff to hone what he called a “killer instinct.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or anything else — you’ve got to get the job done,” Calhoun said. “The little things are what wins or loses games.”
This article was published on 247sports.com