Two sure visits

Ft. Campbell, Ky., strongside defensive end Micah Johnson has a list of suitors a mile long. But the four-star prospect that is ranked as the nation's No. 46 player overall by Rivals.com said he's starting to think about official visits and two teams are in good shape to get trips.

Johnson, who is 6-foot-2 and 267 pounds, was scheduled to visit the Georgia summer camp a few weeks back, but he didn't make the visit. Yet that doesn't diminish his interest in UGA.

"I didn't get to make it to Georgia last week, but I am going to take an official visit there on either September 3rd or the 7th," Johnson said. "Those two weekends they have big games that will be nationally televised, so they want me to come down there then.

"I'm going to try to get a visit to Michigan for sure. After Georgia and Michigan, the other three visits are up in the air. I'm not sure who will get them yet."

The other teams on the list trying to get a visit range from teams like Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Virginia to in-state schools like Kentucky and Louisville.

"Louisville and Virginia are coming after me the hardest," Johnson said. "Auburn, Georgia, Michigan and LSU are all coming after me pretty hard, too. It just makes it a hard decision when all of these great teams are coming after me."

"I talk to coaches at Louisville a lot. They're a good coaching staff there, and I love talking to coach (Mike) Cassidy, coach (Bobby) Petrino, and coach (Mike) Summers. They are real down-to-earth, real nice, cool guys. Very truthful. They are definitely a team I'm thinking about. I like them a lot."

Johnson is listed by Rivals.com as a defensive end prospect, but he said he's talking to most schools about playing linebacker and even dreams a little bit of being a running back.

"I'm solid to play linebacker, no question," he said. "Maryland, Michigan State, Auburn and Louisville are all looking for me to play linebacker. I'm leaning towards playing linebacker right now, but I love running the ball."

Johnson said he's thought of a few key things to look for when it comes time to make a decision.

"A school with good tradition is a good thing, and a solid football family," he said. "I want a place with a tight coaching staff. I want to look at the program and how they are and how they've been recruiting. I want the best supporting cast I can get. Distance is somewhat important, but it's not the biggest factor.

"I'll probably make my decision late. I don't want to rush into it."