2021 WR Malcolm Johnson Jr. Places Florida Gators in Top Five
Despite an already crowded wide receiver haul in the 2021 class, the Gators appear to still be on the prowl for pass-catching talent. Florida has been placed in the top five schools for 2021 wide receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr., hailing from St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.).
His top five includes the Gators, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn - five SEC teams.
Johnson was originally offered by Florida on March 28th, after a recruiting moratorium was put in place amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Despite being unable to visit campus, Johnson has developed a good relationship with the coaching staff after a virtual visit in May and a virtual UF photoshoot in July.
RELATED: Gators 2021 WR Target Malcolm Johnson's Recruiting Profile
A track athlete, Johnson profiles well as a Z-receiver but possesses the length to play the X spot, allowing him to pose as a true deep boundary threat with contested-catch potential - backed by his 10.5-second 100-meter dash, 4.6 40-yard dash, 6.26 55-meter dash, and 39-inch vertical jump. Johnson will look to build upon his route tree as he depends on the vertical stem at this time, but his tools suggest the makings of a No. 1 pass-catcher at the college level with proper development.
Below, you can find a snippet of Johnson's Sports Illustrated All-American scouting report. Johnson was named to the SIAA Top 1000 in July, and the inaugural Sports Illustrated All-American team - the top 25 prospects in the class of 2021 - will be unveiled in December.
Instincts: Uses a squirt technique to release versus squat defenders with solid swim. Has a subtle dead leg release versus press-man. Flashes a subtle head fake at the end of his stem prior to his secondary releases. Disciplined with eye-tracking of throws downfield. Uses good judgment and leap timing to subtly work himself in advantage position on 50-50 balls. Fair creativity and vision in RAC-phase and is able to locate initial creases to exploit as a runner.
The Gators have already received four commitments at the wide receiver position in the class of 2021: Grayson's (Ga.) Daejon Reynolds, Trinity Christian Academy's (Jacksonville, Fla) Marcus Burke, Vanguard's (Ocala, Fla.) Trevonte Rucker, and Armwood's (Seffner, Fla.) Charles Montgomery.
With 23 pledges as a whole and considering other highly-coveted targets across different positions, it might take some shuffling for Florida to make room for Johnson should he be interested in committing to UF.
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