Counter Intel is the smart Ohio State fan's look at recruiting action taking place within the Big Ten and top national programs.
Anthony Johnson Picks Rutgers over Alabama, Oregon
Rutgers landed their highest-ranked prospect in Greg Schiano's second go-round this week when four-star linebacker Anthony Johnson announced that he was picking the Scarlet Knights.
I just want to thank god and all my love ones throughout this journey. Coach Schiano and coach Fran are a big part of my decision and I appreciate the whole Rutgers staff.Im 1000% committed to Rutgers University and were building something great @GregSchiano @RUCoachFran pic.twitter.com/gkrfvaVQfH
— Anthony Johnson (@antgeezz) February 18, 2021
Johnson is rated as the No. 165 overall player and the No. 7 ILB. He chose Rutgers over reported offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oregon, Penn State, and Texas A&M. He is the first four-star class in Rutgers' 2022 class. Hailing from Philadelphia, Johnson represents the type of prospect that Schiano needs to land if he wants to bring Rutgers out of the bottom tier of the Big Ten.
Ty Simpson Postpones Decision
Previously scheduled to announce his decision on Feb. 19, 2022 four-star quarterback Ty Simpson had to postpone that due to inclement weather that shut down large portions of the country, including his school in Tennessee.
Due to inclement weather, and the closing of my school. I will be delaying my commitment announcement until Friday, February 26 @ 2pm/CST at Westview High school.
— Ty Simpson (@ty_simpson06) February 15, 2021
Simpson is rated as the No. 42 overall player in the 2022 class, and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback. He has been largely considered a Clemson lock, but it appears that Alabama (surprise, surprise) has made a move here and should now be considered a threat as well. Tennessee and Ole Miss round out Simpson's other finalists, but those two schools appear to just be hats on the table.
Simpson's decision could have other ramifications. Clemson has yet to offer Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers, and you would think they would almost have to do so just to gauge interest if Simpson were to pick the Crimson Tide.
Evan Stewart Commits to Texas
Steve Sarkisian has been active on the recruiting trail since taking over as the head coach at Texas, landing quarterback Maalik Murphy and now wide receiver Evan Stewart in back-to-back weeks.
AG2Gcommitted. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/2bM04EZrER
— (@0fficial_evan) February 19, 2021
Stewart is rated as the No. 40 overall player in the 2022 class, and the No. 5 wide receiver. He's also a track standout, with personal records including a 10.74 100m, a 21.08 200m, and 47’9 triple jump.
Stewart is the second wide receiver to commit to Sarkisian's 2022 group, joining fellow in-stater Armani Winfield. His addition propels the Texas 2022 class into the top five of the team rankings.
Of note, Stewart is also a star off the football field, as he has over one million followers on the popular social media app TikTok. It will be interesting to see how he manages his personal brand while at Texas, but if the NIL legislation is approved, he should stand to be quite profitable.
