3-star Alabama LB Thomas Johnston recaps Iowa visit: "I loved it"
The Latest: Thomas Johnston is one of the top players left on Iowa's board, regardless of position and his official visit earlier this month carried a lot of importance for both him and the Hawkeyes. While Johnston has been rather quiet about the trip, Rivals.com recently caught up with him to get his thoughts on his time in Iowa City and how it might impact his January decision.
In His Words:
On his Iowa visit: "I loved it. I love the people out there. The facilities are top notch so it was a great visit."
On the football culture: "They love the game. A lot of the guys there weren’t highly recruited so everything they get they’ve earned. I like that about them. The work ethic there is great and they give 100 percent in everything they do. They play football up there like they do in the South."
On how distance might factor in: "My mom actually has family up in Iowa. My aunt and uncle are 20 minutes away from Iowa City so when we were on our visit they came with us so we got to see our whole family. It’s like a home up there so I enjoyed it, I feel comfortable. My mom feels comfortable if I did decide to go up there and having family there only helps. They knew I have family up there so they felt like they had a chance and they recruited me hard from the beginning."
On what's next: "I’m taking Arizona State visit first weekend in January and then either Ole Miss or LSU."
On what he's excited to see at Arizona State: "The atmosphere. Coach Lindsay has been recruiting me since he was at Southern Miss and we have a great relationship. He has a great relationship with my dad so with him being out there I would feel comfortable knowing that I have someone that I know."
Rivals Reaction: The family ties to Iowa are something that gives the Hawkeyes a unique angle to pitch when trying to lure Johnston out of the Southeast. It seems as if his time in Iowa City was well spent and now he will visit at least Arizona State before making a decision in January. The question is how will things shake out if Ole Miss or LSU push harder for an official visit? Only time will tell once Johnston's recruitment heats up after the dead period.