Before he committed to Auburn I had commented that Johnson was an important get because of his versatility. I felt that he was someone who could play RT, but I thought that his biggest upside was on the inside. If you watch this short clip, you can tell that he has the athleticism to play on the edge. Keep in mind that this is junior film, and he is already one large kid. When you hear the phrase "Growing into his body", the first thing that comes to mind for me are offensive linemen. Johnson doesn't possess elite athleticism, and not many O linemen do, but at 6'7" and 290lbs as a junior in high school, he has a lot of tools to work with.
What I like about Johnson is it looks like he's taken to coaching. It would be so easy for a kid this big to rely just on his talent. What first impressed me was how he gets out of his stance. At 6'7", he's going to need to play low, especially if he ends up on the inside. He does a nice job of this and in other clips it's served him well whether he is just power blocking, or cutting off the backside lineman. Once he engages, he moves his feet well, and is under balance whether its the player right in front of him or a LB at the next level. He sets up nice in pass protection, and doesn't seem to panic and over extend himself against a speed rusher.
I would like to see film of him on a stretch play, but unfortunately it looks like his team doesn't run a lot of that. It's the biggest determining factor, for me at least, in telling if a player is going to be able to succeed as an OT at ND. That type of block requires good footwork, lateral movement, and good hand play. I'm going to guess that he has it in him, but would still like to see it.
I think that Johnson is a legit 5.8, 4 star, and I'll stop right there until I see some senior film. I'm not sure what weight he played at during his senior year, but I'll guess he was at about 300lbs. Balis needs to get a hold of him and make sure that his weight doesn't get too high from the start, and a big emphasis on agility work if he wants to stay at OT.
Tommy Kramer comes to mind when I watch Johnson. They're both going to be similar in size as high school seniors, and both were pretty technically sound. Tommy had no problem blocking on the edge as a red shirt freshman, and I thought he was quite good at it. What he had a problem with was a speed rusher off the edge, and I'm thinking if Johnson moves inside it will be for that reason.
Overall a great pick-up because he's a quality player that offers some versatility, and will definitely be ready to compete after his first year. This is also going to take some pressure off recruiting the O line in the 2022 class.
What I like about Johnson is it looks like he's taken to coaching. It would be so easy for a kid this big to rely just on his talent. What first impressed me was how he gets out of his stance. At 6'7", he's going to need to play low, especially if he ends up on the inside. He does a nice job of this and in other clips it's served him well whether he is just power blocking, or cutting off the backside lineman. Once he engages, he moves his feet well, and is under balance whether its the player right in front of him or a LB at the next level. He sets up nice in pass protection, and doesn't seem to panic and over extend himself against a speed rusher.
I would like to see film of him on a stretch play, but unfortunately it looks like his team doesn't run a lot of that. It's the biggest determining factor, for me at least, in telling if a player is going to be able to succeed as an OT at ND. That type of block requires good footwork, lateral movement, and good hand play. I'm going to guess that he has it in him, but would still like to see it.
I think that Johnson is a legit 5.8, 4 star, and I'll stop right there until I see some senior film. I'm not sure what weight he played at during his senior year, but I'll guess he was at about 300lbs. Balis needs to get a hold of him and make sure that his weight doesn't get too high from the start, and a big emphasis on agility work if he wants to stay at OT.
Tommy Kramer comes to mind when I watch Johnson. They're both going to be similar in size as high school seniors, and both were pretty technically sound. Tommy had no problem blocking on the edge as a red shirt freshman, and I thought he was quite good at it. What he had a problem with was a speed rusher off the edge, and I'm thinking if Johnson moves inside it will be for that reason.
Overall a great pick-up because he's a quality player that offers some versatility, and will definitely be ready to compete after his first year. This is also going to take some pressure off recruiting the O line in the 2022 class.
