Inside The Huskies

Elias Johnson Talks Upcoming Washington Visit

The rising cornerback from Jesuit High School has deep Husky ties.
Roman Tomashoff|
Elias Johnson Talks Upcoming Washington Visit
Elias Johnson Talks Upcoming Washington Visit

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Washington Huskies

Even though three-star cornerback Elias Johnson didn't begin playing football until his freshman year of high school, he's accrued 10 scholarship offers to play college football after three seasons. Of those offers, Johnson said three that stand out the most to him are Oregon State, Washington State and Washington.

Johnson said he has already scheduled two visits to Washington, the first an unofficial visit that will take place during the week of June 12 so he can experience "a day in the life of a student-athlete." The second is his official visit, which is slated to begin on June 22.

It seems that the interest Johnson has taken in the program runs deep in his family. "My parents were on the phone with me [when I got my offer], because they're big Washington fans," he said. "They really want to get to know [cornerbacks coach Julius "Juice" Brown] too."

He went on to say his grandfather is a Washington alumnus and his family has been Husky fans ever since. His grandparents have had a big impact on his football career; his grandmother sought out former Oregon defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and his 7on7 team, Team Alpha, to help train her grandson.

That relationship with Team Alpha helped get Johnson to Washington for the first time in 2022, where he was greatly impressed by the scenery.

"Even before I got to the campus, I was in shock," he said. "I had never seen anything like the drive leading up to the stadium and once I got to see the facilities, it was just as incredible."

Ekpre-Olomu has helped the 6-foot-3, 160-pound cornerback improve in all facets of his game, but Johnson knows he still has a long way to go before he reaches his ceiling. He's learned a lot from the Ducks' former All-American, including how to use his length to high-point balls and bring down more interceptions, so what's next?

"I do need to get more weight and continue getting more physical, but for me, the mindset is probably the biggest thing," he said. "That's what Ifo tells me every single day. I have all the [tools], I'm athletic enough to be a Division I corner, but I need to keep developing [mentally] right now."

Johnson said that he plans to make his decision by the end of August, before the beginning of his senior season. Check out the full conversation with him at the top of the page.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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