Johnson embracing the process
Roderick Johnson isn't letting the recruiting process stress him out. The Florissant (Mo.) Hazelwood Central tackle claims 15 scholarship offers already. Calls from reporters and sales pitches from college coaches are becoming more and more common with each passing day.
Some players of his profile would be beaten down. Some would be tired of the questions and the chaos. Not Johnson. He's genuinely enjoying the ride.
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"I'm living the dream," Johnson said by phone on Monday.
The sustained excitement is refreshing. The latest part of Johnson's "dream" was an unofficial visit to Michigan, which the four-star prospect wrapped up on Monday afternoon. He already holds an offer from the Wolverines and showed up in Ann Arbor with an opinion on the program.
And while he remains a little shy about going into great detail about the trip, it seems as though he saw what he thought he'd see. Johnson is a man of few words.
"It was good," he said. "It was real good. I watched practice and got an academic tour and stuff like that.
"It made me like Michigan even more."
Johnson said he spent the majority of his Michigan visit with current Michigan players, most of which were redshirt freshman or early enrollees. Those interactions are what Johnson said stuck out about the trip.
"The guys were cool," he said. "We hung out after the practice. "They were just telling me about how they have good academics and are on the rise in football. It was just things like that."
And with that, he'll take a mini-break. Johnson has no other travel plans at this time and does not intend to participate in any offseason camps. Instead, he'll sit back and enjoy. Still, it's not even worth it to ask him which school is recruiting him hardest. According to him, it's everyone.
He's not bogged down, though. He's smiling and letting everything wash over him. It's what he does best.
"I'm just relaxing right now," Johnson said. "A lot of schools are talking to me a lot; Ohio State, Michigan, Missouri, a lot of Big 12 and Big 10 schools."
The one thing Johnson is certain of at this point is that his commitment will have to wait. He does not intend to make a verbal pledge until signing day 2014. He says he can't imagine a situation in which he chooses a school beforehand.
As a junior, Johnson led a Hazelwood Central offense that averaged more than 22 points per game. The Hawks finished the season with an 8-3 overall record.