After previously making plans to wait to commit until May 22, three-star safety Jaylen Johnson could wait no longer.
The Cincinnati La Salle High School standout committed to Ohio State on Tuesday, becoming the eighth commitment in the Buckeyes' 2021 class.
Please respect my decision #Committed
— Jaylen.Johnson (@JaylenJohnson21) January 7, 2020
Thank you to all the coaches that took their time to recruit me. pic.twitter.com/P1JKPXPY1T
The Johnson File
- Class: 2021
- Size: 6-foot-1/205 lbs
- Pos: S
- School: La Salle (Cincinnati, OH)
- Composite Rating: ★★★
- Composite Rank: 18 (S)
Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, had planned on committing on his dad's birthday in May, and then later he announced he would wait until the summer.
But Johnson saw an opportunity to pounce on the window the Buckeyes were opening, and he chose Ryan Day's program over his other top schools, Kentucky and Cincinnati.
Another one of the reasons Johnson had planned on waiting was to ensure that the relationships he was building with college coaches were genuine.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITTMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK SAWYER | DE | No. 2 | No. 2 | FEBRUARY 3, 2019 |
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | No. 31 | No. 5 (PRO-STYLE) | APRIL 30, 2019 |
| JAYDEN BALLARD | WR | No. 73 | No. 11 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
| BEN CHRISTMAN | OT | No. 52 | No. 10 | JUNE 26, 2019 |
| REID CARRICO | LB | No. 122 | No. 2 (ILB) | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | No. 55 | No. 9 | OCTOBER 31, 2019 |
| SAM HART | TE | No. 365 | No. 15 | DECEMBER. 30, 2019 |
| JAYLEN JOHNSON | S | No. 421 | No. 18 | JANUARY 7, 2020 |
“One of the reasons is I wanna see if all of the schools that offered me will actually stay in contact with me and give me the same love they did on that same day they offered me,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors in October. “I’m just letting everything fall into place. I’m not rushing anything. I’m just letting everything literally fall into place. That’s why I haven’t committed anywhere."
Thank you to @OhioStateFB especially Coach @ryandaytime Coach @CoachWash56 Coach @markpantoni and everyone associated with THE Ohio State University for this amazing opportunity. I promise to make the most of it. #GoBucks #NoFly pic.twitter.com/AdZhDQ3oW8
— Jaylen.Johnson (@JaylenJohnson21) January 7, 2020
Looks like the relationships were good enough for the Buckeyes to land the in-state talent, one who could end up being their next bullet in this recruiting cycle.
“It’s really interesting. Not gonna lie to you,” Johnson said of a potential move to a hybrid or linebacker position. “They want me to play safety, but if my body grows into a bullet, I can do that."
