Jackets, Bulldogs battle for C.J.

Each year schools from the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences battle over the top talent in the region. Those recruiting battles get a lot hotter when bitter in-state rivals are the top contenders for a recruit.

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound target from Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. He's one of the top players in the south, and is ranked the No. 3 player in the entire state of Georgia. The two top in-state programs are in a heated recruiting battle for his services.

"Georgia and Georgia Tech are still the top schools to beat," said Johnson. "I wouldn't have to go far from home to go to either place and I really like the state. I know I'd be playing in a good conference at either place. The biggest thing I'll consider in my decision will be the quality of the coaching staff, and both those schools have good coaches."

Johnson hasn't set any dates for official visits yet, but knows of two he'll take.

"I'm taking official visits to Georgia and Georgia Tech for sure," he said. "I've talked to Tech about it and I'll probably go there sometime in mid-December. I'm not sure when the Georgia visit will be. I've been thinking about Notre Dame for a while too, so I might go up there sometime."

In addition to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame, Johnson is also interested in Miami and Alabama. He was once interested in North Carolina, but that's no longer the case.

"I'm not really interested in UNC anymore," he said. "They had a big class of receivers last year so Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama have moved up and they've gone down."

Johnson plans on taking as many official visits as possible, and will announce his decision late in the recruiting process.