re: 2019 Football Recruiting Thread - Auburn Goes 4/7 & Land Brothers

Posted on 6/8/18 at 7:38 pm to TigerPaw1

Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 6/8/18 at 7:38 pm to TigerPaw1

BREAKING: Rising in-state WR commits to Auburn after strong camp performance (SECCountry)

quote:
AUBURN, Ala. — Ja’Varrius Johnson’s fast rise in the recruiting world took a major step forward Friday.

The Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) High School wide receiver visited Auburn two weeks ago and picked up an offer from Mississippi State last week. He took another visit to the Plains on Friday for a camp. He picked up an offer from the Tigers, too.

Johnson took it to the next level, however.

The speedy in-state wide receiver — who is sure to pick up more offers this summer — committed to Auburn on Friday. He became the ninth commitment in the 2019 class and the second wide receiver, joining Hoover (Ala.) wide receiver George Pickens.

Johnson played his junior season at St. Clair Co. (Ala.) and transferred to Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) this offseason.

Johnson has emerged recently on Auburn’s radar, and the Tigers staff made sure to seal the deal before other top programs got in on his recruitment. His highlight tape tells the story of why coaching staffs are impressed by him. At the Auburn camp on Friday, Johnson dazzled coaches with his breakaway speed.

The one uncertainty about Johnson may be his size. At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, he’s not a big-bodied receiver like Pickens. That didn’t scare away Auburn coaches, however, who saw his big-play ability at St. Clair Co. that will only increase in production for that electric Hewitt-Trussville offense. He hauled in 6 touchdowns in the spring game.

Auburn’s plan has always been to take two wide receivers in this class. The emphasis, to this point, has been on Georgia commit Jadon Haselwood. Johnson’s addition won’t change the Tigers’ plans with Haselwood, but it gives Auburn a security blanket of a two-receiver class if Haselwood opts to stick with the Bulldogs.

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Posted by TigerPaw1

Chattanooga, TN

Member since Apr 2011

16979 posts

Posted on 6/8/18 at 7:41 pm to TigerPaw1

This is article from May on Johnson

Ja'Varrius Johnson, two-way recruit? 2019 prospect on the ascent (247)

quote:
As if his four-touchdown spring game performance Friday night (video above) wasn't enough evidence, Ja'Varrius Johnson continues to turn heads of late.

The Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville standout, playing wide receiver and cornerback for the Huskies, has enjoyed a monster spring on the recruiting trail. He hit the 15-offer mark during the week and may continue to add scholarship tenders as he settles into a role at the tail-end of his junior year.

"He's only now about to blow up," one Hewitt-Trussville coach told 247Sports of the rising-senior athlete. "He's a freak."

Johnson scored three touchdowns from his traditional wide receiver spot Friday night against Gadsden (Ala.) City High School, but he added an 85-yard interception return for a score while working at the position more and more college coaches are considering with the 5-foot-10, 165-pound prospect -- cornerback.

The former Odenville (Ala.) St. Clair County athlete, who enrolled at Hewitt-Trussville earlier this year, is open to playing on either side of the football despite immense experience and comfort as a traditional wide receiver or in the slot.

"They're just asking if I could play corner, stuff like that," Johnson said. "I tell them 'yes sir.' They're asking if I can play both sides, return man, positions like that."

Florida Atlantic offered the three-star prospect on Tuesday, following Southern Miss and Western Carolina the week prior. But it's the in-state programs, each of which offered much earlier, commanding the attention of one of the Yellowhammer State's most explosive prospects.

"I like Troy, UAB, the ones that show me the most love," he said.

The recruiting process, which is still fairly new for Johnson, is likely to have more twists and turns ahead depending on how many new programs jump in over the next several weeks. The junior held just one offer, from Troy, entering this year. He has visited the Trojan program, as well as Tennessee, Kentucky, UAB and others in the region.

The next trip he makes has yet to be scheduled, though some of the programs on his list may soon face elimination.

"I'll probably narrow my list near the end of the summer," he said. "It's about how I fit in or if I fit in, a school that feels like home where I can get the best education."

The industry-generated 247Sports Composite has yet to rate Johnson, but he is among the top wide receiver projections in the state on 247Sports. He is currently the No. 71 overall prospect in the state on the network, although he is likely to shoot up the list as the 2018 season inches closer.

Hewitt-Trussville High School is coming off of a second-straight undefeated regular season in Alabama's highest classification (7A) and figures to be a state champion contender once again this fall.