Elias Johnson, Jesuit 3-star cornerback, sets Tuesday commitment date, previews finalists

Jesuit (Oregon) three-star cornerback Elias Johnson is down to 3 Pac-12 programs

There might not be another prospect in Oregon whose stock has risen more dramatically since the end of last season than Jesuit (Oregon) three-star cornerback Elias Johnson.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound defensive back has worked with former Oregon Ducks star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and turned himself into one of the best press man cornerbacks on the West Coast.

College football programs have taken notice, as he's picked up a total of 10 offers.

But that recruitment is set to come to an end, as Johnson will be announcing his commitment Tuesday, having taken official visits to his three finalists - Oregon State, Washington and Washington State.

He joined SBLive Sports to discuss what stands out about each program.

Oregon State Beavers: “I really like the coaches a lot. They are awesome people. Their scheme … they are man-based, so a lot of the stuff that I do now… I can use my length in their scheme with press-man corners.”

“I really enjoyed talking to the coaches during my official visit. We talked a lot of football, and that’s always my favorite part.”

Washington Huskies: “The whole atmosphere stood out, to be honest. What I liked most about it was that it’s a lot like Portland. It’s a bigger and better Portland. Me and Coach Juice [Julius Brown] get along well. During our meeting we were talking ball. He pulled up a lot of what they do, and then showed me doing it. But instead of giving me praise, he was coaching me on what I could do better and then described the drills to improve… like staying low in my stance.”

Washington State Cougars: “What stood out about the Cougars was that all of their coaches were really high energy. Their connection with each other was really cool. And Pullman is really a college town. The brotherhood is really, really strong, because that is what they have there. There are not many outside distractions or a big city to go to. That stood out to me a lot, because it does feel different. Coach (Jake) Dickert invites people to his house to hang out and eat, and that was really, really cool.”

“They run NFL defense. If I were to go there, I’d get used to that style of play and at the next level, I’d be a step ahead. They do the same stuff as the Jets, so it would give me a head start.” 

Junior season highlights