Notre Dame Signs CB JoJo Johnson
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have signed cornerback JoJo Johnson
JOJO JOHNSON PROFILE
Hometown: Merrillville, Ind.
High School: Merrillville
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
2020 Stats: 47 catches, 878 yards, 18.7 YPC, 10 TD
IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 400 caliber player)
Upside Grade: 4.0
Offers: Notre Dame, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, Cincinnati, Washington State
Recruited By: Mike Mickens, Brian Polian
ESPN: 3-star
247Sports: 3-star
Rivals: 3-star
Composite: 3-star
FILM ANALYSIS
I had a chance to see Johnson work out at Notre Dame’s summer camp back in 2019. He made my top performers list for his performance, and the first two traits that stood out to me were his foot quickness and competitiveness. Johnson has exceptionally quick feet, and in high school it shines most on offense, but that is because he has more experience on that side of the ball.
His agility and flexibility are ideally suited for the cornerback position, but he just doesn’t have much experience at the position. Watching Johnson on film as a senior, he looked like an athletic player that was still learning how to play that position. Johnson has a knack for coverage and his ball skills on defense are outstanding, which shouldn’t be surprising for a player with his experience on offense.
The issue for Johnson is he lacks the footwork and experience with the nuances and finer points of the position. In high school he was getting by on God-given athletic talent, and now he is going to a program that has a position coach that is an excellent teacher.
But that God-given ability is why Notre Dame went after Johnson. Remember, he was originally committed to Cincinnati when Marcus Freeman was still the defensive coordinator, and it was Freeman and that staff that convinced Johnson to play cornerback. Now he gets a chance to play for Freeman at Notre Dame, and he has a chance to far outplay his ranking.
NOTRE DAME FIT
I could see Johnson getting an early look at the slot/nickel position. His experience as a wide receiver, his foot quickness and his loose hips should all allow him to thrive in the slot, so it would be about how quickly he could pick up the technique required to handle the position.
Eventually Johnson could develop into an every down cover player on the outside as well, but he'll need a lot of technique work. I love his skillset and potential, but the question is can he pick up the nuances of the position.
If he can, Johnson could be one of the steals of this class.
JOHN GARCIA, SI ALL-AMERICAN ON JOHNSON
"The in-state star truly earned his spot at Notre Dame through his play well into 2020 as a two-way talent. He exhibits great quickness on either side of the ball, a trait that may push him towards a cover corner or nickel role within the secondary one day. Johnson lined up at quarterback and wide receiver in addition to the secondary, where he made plays as a pass catcher and runner, but he'd flash on defense with range and pop upon contact, too."
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