Top South Carolina edge player Brad Johnson updates plans for January
Dec. 13, 2016
ROEBUCK, S.C. — Three-star defensive end Brad Johnson, one of the top 2017 prospects from South Carolina, lists three schools on his list of finalists.
After Shrine Bowl practice at Dorman High School, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound prospect from Pendleton (S.C.) High School detailed his official visit to Virginia Tech and looked ahead to his January stops at South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Gamecocks will host him for an official visit on the weekend of Jan. 13. He last visited Columbia for the Tennessee game.
“It was ridiculous. The fans, 80,000, you definitely hear them all,” Johnson said. “I didn’t get to stay too long because it was a night game … my mom was driving back, so I had to get out kind of quick, but it was definitely great.
“Every time I could get up to Williams-Brice (and) be around that atmosphere, it was crazy.”
He’ll head to Tennessee the following weekend.
“I’ve been talking to coach (Steve) Stripling, the D-line coach up there. He’s been recruiting me for a good while, a good year. He’s just always kept in contact with me. There’s a lot of good history, good football history at Tennessee.
“I went up there to a game, the Alabama game. The fans were crazy. It’s nothing like playing in the SEC, and that school deeply roots with that.
Before reporting for duty at the Shrine Bowl, Johnson was at Virginia Tech on an official visit. Hokies defensive line coach Charley Wiles told Johnson that their defensive ends are “special guys.”
“They’re maximizing their talents. Dropping them back into the flats, rushing the passer and things like that. I think they would definitely use me to my advantage and all around the field,” Johnson said.
The No. 22-ranked weakside defensive end in the Class of 2017 hopes to have a decision before Signing Day.
“I want to try to commit shortly after my last visit, so everybody already knows where I’m going, going into Signing Day, so it’s no big surprise or anything like that,” Johnson said. “If, for some reason, if I can’t decide until then, so I guess there’s a chance I could commit on Signing Day. But I would like to do it before then.”
Originally, Johnson wanted to make his decision early, but circumstances dictated otherwise. As he goes through Shrine Bowl week, Johnson literally is surrounded by future Gamecocks.
The South Carolina Shrine Bowl coaches have a “fast” package that puts Gamecocks commitments Davonne Bowen and Tyreek Johnson down on each end of the line with Johnson in the middle.
Plus, Bowen is Johnson’s roommate this week.
“It’s a couple out here. There’s a good few,” he said of the Gamecocks commitments. “But none are trying to push me that way. Of course, they’re telling me about USC and there’s good things going on up there, and I know that, for sure. They’re not pushing me any type of way.”
Dec. 13, 2016
ROEBUCK, S.C. — Three-star defensive end Brad Johnson, one of the top 2017 prospects from South Carolina, lists three schools on his list of finalists.
After Shrine Bowl practice at Dorman High School, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound prospect from Pendleton (S.C.) High School detailed his official visit to Virginia Tech and looked ahead to his January stops at South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Gamecocks will host him for an official visit on the weekend of Jan. 13. He last visited Columbia for the Tennessee game.
“It was ridiculous. The fans, 80,000, you definitely hear them all,” Johnson said. “I didn’t get to stay too long because it was a night game … my mom was driving back, so I had to get out kind of quick, but it was definitely great.
“Every time I could get up to Williams-Brice (and) be around that atmosphere, it was crazy.”
He’ll head to Tennessee the following weekend.
“I’ve been talking to coach (Steve) Stripling, the D-line coach up there. He’s been recruiting me for a good while, a good year. He’s just always kept in contact with me. There’s a lot of good history, good football history at Tennessee.
“I went up there to a game, the Alabama game. The fans were crazy. It’s nothing like playing in the SEC, and that school deeply roots with that.
Before reporting for duty at the Shrine Bowl, Johnson was at Virginia Tech on an official visit. Hokies defensive line coach Charley Wiles told Johnson that their defensive ends are “special guys.”
“They’re maximizing their talents. Dropping them back into the flats, rushing the passer and things like that. I think they would definitely use me to my advantage and all around the field,” Johnson said.
The No. 22-ranked weakside defensive end in the Class of 2017 hopes to have a decision before Signing Day.
“I want to try to commit shortly after my last visit, so everybody already knows where I’m going, going into Signing Day, so it’s no big surprise or anything like that,” Johnson said. “If, for some reason, if I can’t decide until then, so I guess there’s a chance I could commit on Signing Day. But I would like to do it before then.”
Originally, Johnson wanted to make his decision early, but circumstances dictated otherwise. As he goes through Shrine Bowl week, Johnson literally is surrounded by future Gamecocks.
The South Carolina Shrine Bowl coaches have a “fast” package that puts Gamecocks commitments Davonne Bowen and Tyreek Johnson down on each end of the line with Johnson in the middle.
Plus, Bowen is Johnson’s roommate this week.
“It’s a couple out here. There’s a good few,” he said of the Gamecocks commitments. “But none are trying to push me that way. Of course, they’re telling me about USC and there’s good things going on up there, and I know that, for sure. They’re not pushing me any type of way.”