Connecticut leads for Johnson

Pompano Beach (Fla.) Blanche Ely inside linebacker Conard Johnson has turned his focus to his recruitment since his season concluded. The 5-foot-11, 224-pound linebacker has hosted one coach and is expecting at least one more.

"Right now, I just got off the phone with Coach (Dale) Williams from FAU. He was down to see me on Monday," Johnson said. "Connecticut is coming to see me during the Broward vs. Miami-Dade game, that is an all-star game down here in South Florida."

As for official visits, the three-star defensive prospect has taken one so far and has a few other destinations in mind.

"I went to Memphis in October. That is the only visit I have been on," Johnson said. "In the future, I plan to go to see Connecticut, UM, and maybe Wisconsin as well as Georgia Tech."

At this point, Johnson holds offers from Chattanooga, Connecticut, Memphis, Tulsa, and Vanderbilt. One of those offers stands out as his top school at this point.

"Connecticut is in first for me right now, I am considering them more than anybody else right now," Johnson said. "I just like the coaches there. I know the coaches pretty well, I have been talking to Coach Terry Richardson a long time. He actually coached in South Florida and he was recruiting one of my old teammates and now he is recruiting me. Everything looks good there and they have a chance to go to a bowl game."

Another school getting serious consideration by Johnson is the local one, the Miami Hurricanes. Despite Randy Shannon's dismissal in Coral Gables, Johnson says they remain a school he would give serious consideration to if they were to extend an offer.

"To me it doesn't make a difference, you still have to play the same football, football is football," Johnson said. "To me it doesn't make a difference. Players have to play the football, not the coaches."

The Broward vs. Maimi-Dade All-Star game that Johnson is participating in is scheduled to be held on January 14th.

Academically, Johnson has taken the ACT and earned a 17. He intends to retake the test later this month.