Take Two: Should Ohio State be worried about Paris Johnson?

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

MORE: Assessing Big Ten QB situations | Is Justin Fields overrated?

Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.

Five-star Paris Johnson Jr. has been committed to Ohio State since the summer before his junior season and the Buckeyes weathered the storm in transitioning from coach Urban Meyer to Ryan Day as the Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier offensive tackle has stuck with his word.

Throughout the last 10 months or so since Johnson’s commitment, though, the five-star has visited other schools and has really perked up a lot of interest in Georgia, taking three visits to Athens in the last month. He was back on campus this past weekend for G-Day, which was stacked with outstanding prospects from across the country.

At the All-American Combine over the holidays in San Antonio, Johnson made it clear that while he remains happily committed to the Buckeyes, he’s not going to count out any programs and that he’s going to make sure the right decision is made. That is Columbus at this point, but other teams aren’t going to be counted out - especially after the five-star lived through Meyer leaving and Day taking over the Ohio State program.

Should multiple recent visits to Georgia be serious cause for concern for Ohio State and its fan base or is Johnson just doing his due diligence through the recruiting process?

“For Georgia, they feel confident (offensive line coach) Sam Pittman can recruit with anybody. It’s a situation where they feel like if they can keep getting the kid back on campus, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? They probably feel a lot better with Tate Ratledge instead, but Paris is a guy who’s been there three times in the last month and that reflects on Georgia pretty well. There is legitimate interest.

“As far as his Ohio State commitment goes, there has been some concern and there continues to be and with him continuing to show up in Athens there’s more cause for it, but Georgia is probably going to end up in this class realistically with Broderick Jones and they’re pushing hard for Ratledge. They want to keep a guy like Johnson warm always and they’ve pulled guys from far away before. Georgia likes its chances against anybody.”

“Multiple visits is worrisome when you have a kid committed. If a kid is taking a look at this school or that school, getting his fun out of the way, posing for pictures and getting the love on the visits, that’s fine if he’s doing it with like six different schools. If he’s going to one place multiple times - and I know he’s been to other schools, but if he’s going to the same place over and over again, I’d be concerned.

“The whole Jackson Carman thing kind of made me rethink a few things about kids being committed to Ohio State that I thought would never, ever, ever leave the state. I still think Johnson is still going to end up at Ohio State. No doubt they’re the leader, but I’d be worried if I was an Ohio State fan.”