Elias Johnson, fast-rising 3-star cornerback, commits to Washington Huskies

Jesuit (Oregon) three-star cornerback Elias Johnson is Washington's ninth commitment in the past week

Less than a week ago the Washington Huskies had just one verbal commitment in the class of 2024 and became a talking point across the recruiting landscape.

"What is going on in Seattle?"

In truth, Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff back-loaded their official visit schedule in the month of June and bet on their ability to close on the final weekend.

That gamble paid off.

On Tuesday, Washington added its ninth commitment of the week with the addition of Jesuit (Oregon) three-star cornerback Elias Johnson, who chose the Huskies over fellow finalists Oregon State and Washington State.

For the lengthy, physical 6-foot-3, 180-pound cornerback, it was difficult to pinpoint one factor as the reason he chose Washington.

“I’m going to the University of Washington," Johnson said. "The first thing is that Coach DeBoer brought in a good coaching staff from Fresno State and they had a really good season last year. A lot of their players came back - guys who could’ve been drafted came back because they love their coaches that much and believed the staff could develop them for another year. That says a lot. 

The "newness" of the staff was also a positive for the Jesuit standout, as he feels they are likely to remain in Seattle for his entire college career, or at least the majority. 

"They are so new that I don’t see them leaving soon.” he said. 

While Johnson prefers playing press-man corner, his size and athleticism make him a potentially valuable piece at multiple spots.

He felt no program was better positioned to develop, utilize and showcase that skill-set than Washington.

“They play five or six (defensive backs) on the field sometimes, which is a lot," he said. "That increases the chances of me getting on the field earlier, and it also allows me to move around and play a lot of different spots. I could play nickel… here, here, here. There’s a lot of variety in what they do. I can still press.”

Johnson has spent this offseason working with former Oregon Ducks star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and he has made massive strides.

In fact, one could argue no 2024 Oregon prospect has done more to improve their recruiting stock and on-field performance this offseason than Johnson.

That progress should allow him to contribute at a number of spots in Washington's defense. 

Perhaps the biggest factor in Johnson's decision was the experience he had last weekend on his official visit.

Not only was he comfortable with the coaching staff and a group of recruits who quickly bonded, leading to a flurry of new commitments, but he also liked the feel of the city. 

“Seattle feels like home," Johnson said. 

Washington's 2024 recruiting class currently consists of 10 pledges and cracks the top-50 nationally with Johnson In the fold. 

There's obviously still work to do to finish with a more traditional top-25-to-30 class in Seattle, but no program has taken a bigger step forward this week than Washington.

Junior season highlights