I spoke with Notre Dame 2025 defensive end target Matthew Johnson and his trainer, Ben Hawk Schrider of Big Skills Training, over the weekend.
Johnson attends Concord (Calif.) De La Salle and played with Notre Dame 2023 signee and freshman tight end Cooper Flanagan.
The three-star recruit reported an offer in late May. His sophomore season was cut short due to injury, so he's not as highly rated or ranked as other 2025 defensive end targets, but Schrider expects a big junior season from Johnson.
"This kid is a special kid," Schrider told Inside ND Sports. "I don't say that about a lot of guys ... he's a special kid and you don't find a lot of guys like him in terms of his work ethic and the way that he thinks about the game. There's no entitlement and it's all humility. That's going to serve him for the rest of his life."
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound recruit has 12 total offers including Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon, USC and Washington. He is ranked as the No. 19 weakside defensive end in the 2025 recruiting class. Johnson said he's open to all schools but wants to go somewhere that offers a great education.
Johnson said he'll line up everywhere on the defensive line for De La Salle but has the most experience playing defensive end. I believe defensive line coach Al Washington views Johnson as someone who could play the vyper position.
"Being able to gain more ground quicker than everyone else and then bending that corner to get the sack on a true speed rush is something I have been working on a lot this offseason," Johnson said. "I'm really tall and sometimes I get a little bit high, so something I've been focusing on a lot is pad level."
Johnson told me he spent the majority of this summer focused on training with Schrider and De La Salle. He did not take any visits this summer but hopes to make the rounds this fall, including hopefully making his first trip to Notre Dame.
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A glimpse into ND 2025 DE target Matthew Johnson and Big Skill Training
Notre Dame 2025 defensive end target Matthew Johnson is putting in the work ahead of his junior season.
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