Jim Harbaugh to Honor Recruit's Scholarship After Michigan Recruit is Forced to Retire

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Michigan quarterback commit J.D. Johnson was forced to retire on Wednesday due to an issue with his heart.

In a message posted to his Twitter account, Johnson revealed that doctors discovered a heart issue called coarctation of the aorta, which cannot be corrected by surgery. Johnson, a three-star prospect in the 2020 class, medically retired after learning that playing a contact sport could rupture his aorta or limit blood to his brain.

Despite the diagnosis, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told Johnson his scholarship will be honored and he has the option of joining the Michigan staff in some capacity. 

"(Harbaugh) demonstrated a high level of loyalty to a player that will never throw a TD pass for him," Johnson said in the tweet. "I already bled Michigan BLUE, but Coach Harbaugh demonstrated an example to me, like the old 'Starfish Parable.'

"You cannot impact everyone's life, but sometimes making a difference in the life of just one counts for something," Johnson added.

Johnson, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, had been committed to Michigan since December 2018.