Wide Receiver Lonnie Johnson is Number Eight

After a quiet month on the football recruiting front, Ohio State's class of 2014 has its eighth member in speedy Gary (Ind.) wide receiver Lonnie Johnson.

Johnson, who has long listed Ohio State as his leader, was a surprise commitment today after months of speculating about his ability to commit, but never his desire to. So, on Mother's Day, Johnson decided to present his mother with a gift: his college choice. After he got the green light from the Buckeyes, the wide receiver with blazing speed became the first pure wideout to choose the Buckeyes this recruiting cycle.

"It's OSU," Johnson said to Eleven Warriors.com "I told the whole staff. They were very excited."

After months of waiting, Johnson is a Buckeye and it comes down to a simple explanation for the Indiana prep star.

"The Buckeye staff has given me so much support," he said. "They were there for me in my darkest times and that's why I chose the Buckeyes."

As for on the field, the Buckeyes plan to utilize Johnson's speed on the edge, allowing him to separate from defensive backs. Off the field, Johnson is trying to separate fact from fiction as far the reports about poor academics go. 

"The reports about my grades were not true," he added. "I just wasn't ready, and was going through some personal stuff."