As decision nears for Johnson, PSU aims to stack loaded QB room
It’s decision day for one of the two highest-rated quarterbacks remaining on the board in the entire Class of 2019. And Penn State is hopeful to be the ultimate landing spot.
Michael Johnson Jr., who attends Sheldon High in Eugene, Ore., is set to announce his college destination Wednesday. A four-star Rivals250 prospect, his recruitment has come down to five schools – Florida State, Miami (Fla.), N.C. State, Oregon State and Penn State.
The announcement is scheduled to come around 6 p.m. (EST) and is expected to be publicized via video and/or social media.
Johnson's decision follows a round of official visits this summer. All in the same month, he saw the Seminoles (June 22), Hurricanes (June 20), Wolfpack (June 18) and the Nittany Lions (June 8). Having already been familiar with the in-state Beavers, he did not take an OV to Corvallis. Although he has seen a few schools since his trip to PSU, the relationship with head coach James Franklin and especially new assistant coach Ja’Juan Seider has kept them firmly in the mix while he has made his recent stops.
The son of Michael Johnson Sr., who coaches receivers for the Oregon Ducks, a personal rapport has been built between the Johnson family and Franklin and Seider long before the recruiting process began to heat up. While that’s given them a slight inside edge – despite the cross-country proximity – his relationships and familiarity with the other four schools can't been overlooked, either. Taking those into account, the Nittany Lions have continued to build Johnson up as a priority.
They have an offer out to only one other 2019 QB who hasn’t made a commitment yet. That’s Jayden Daniels of San Bernardino, Calif., who included PSU in his top 8 that was released in May but has yet to visit, so it's safe to say Johnson is the top remaining target and most realistic option on the position board for this class. Daniels also happens to be the only uncommitted QB who ranks higher nationally than Johnson currently. Daniels is ranked No. 105 overall and the third-best dual-threat, while Johnson comes in at No. 169 overall and as the sixth-best dual-threat.
If the Nittany Lions are to miss out on Johnson, it’s unclear if they’ll pursue another QB for this class or instead focus its scholarship allotment on the remaining offensive skill players and linemen who rank PSU near the top of their recruitment. A touted QB is already on board, after all.
Fellow four-star prospect Ta’Quan Roberson of Wayne (N.J.) has been committed to Penn State since last fall and was one of the first 2019 QBs that the coaches targeted early in the cycle. He reciprocated by becoming one of the two first commits of this class and has been helping to lead it since. Even without a commitment from Johnson Wednesday, then, the Lions' future outlook at the position is bright.
In fact, their QB room is already considered one of the strongest out there. In Phil Steele’s annual College Football Preview for 2018, he ranks Penn State’s QBs as the top unit in the country. Under new offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne, there's no doubt that it’s the deepest the position has been since Franklin was hired in 2014. Led by senior, three-year-starter-to-be and Heisman hopeful Trace McSorley, PSU has at least one scholarship QB slotted at every class standing. Behind McSorley is versatile junior Tommy Stevens, who Steele refers to as “one of the country’s top backups.” Jake Zembiec enters his sophomore year of eligibility, while third-stringer Sean Clifford is coming off his redshirt season and is almost ready for playing time. True freshman Will Levis enrolled in May. A relative late bloomer on the recruiting trail, Levis has already impressed in his short time during workouts both in athleticism and physique.
Add in Roberson next season – and quite possibly Johnson, depending on his announced destination – this position unit looks to be staying among the upper echelons of college football. Competition, certainly, won't be lacking, and if there’s anything that influences Johnson to pick elsewhere, fear of such won't be the reason.
“I’m not worried about that at all,” Johnson told BWI recently. “It’s no different than having a really good player in the class a year before you. You’re going to have to compete at this level. That’s inevitable, so having someone else committed in the same class really doesn’t bother me.”
Over the past three seasons of high school football, including a freshman year in California, Johnson has totaled 5,565 yards passing and another 1,878 yards rushing. He’s also accounted for 97 offensive touchdowns and has thrown only 15 interceptions.
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