War Damn Bar-B-Q visitors list & thread (July 23rd)

[ellitor 33,077]

Ryan Johnson

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An in-state battle for one of Alabama's top prospects could wage on up to National Signing Day.

Four-star St. Paul's defensive end Ryan Johnson is the No. 10 player in the state, according to 247Sports, so it's no surprise that both Auburn and Alabama are in hot pursuit of the 6-foot-3, 253-pounder; both schools made the cut and highlighted a top-12 list Johnson put out this summer. They both will make another cut for Johnson this fall, as he said he plans on taking official visits to both campuses during the season.

Johnson said Auburn, Alabama and Stanford will all receive official visits from him this season, though he's "still thinking through" which other two programs to visit in the fall. The heated in-state rivals each got a chance to see Johnson this weekend, though. He was in Tuscaloosa on Friday for an unofficial visit before traveling to Auburn for the program's recruiting picnic on Saturday.

"I wasn't really trying to measure them up," Johnson said. "I was just trying to have a good time at both of the places."

Mission accomplished.

While Johnson has visited both schools multiple times this spring, this weekend's visits were more relaxed in his mind, which gave him a different look at each program.

"It's big because you could see the more laidback side of the university, how the coaches are, not having to be on a strict schedule," Johnson said. "It's just them being laidback with you and the players, telling you how everything goes on. It's great."

At Alabama on Friday, Johnson had a chance to hang out with Tide offensive lineman Josh Casher, his former teammate at St. Paul's. Casher and Johnson spoke at length about how things are at Alabama and what the transition from Mobile to Tuscaloosa is like. Of course, Casher isn't the only former teammate Johnson had a chance to visit with this weekend; while at Auburn he hung out with Tigers junior linebacker Tre' Williams, another former St. Paul's product, as well as some other players from the Mobile area.

There's plenty of familiarity on both rosters for Johnson, though he particularly mentioned that the number of players he knows at Auburn is one of the things that stands out to him about the program. It's not the only aspect that has caught his attention on the Plains.

"The way they roll their defensive line, they play 10 people a game, or at least try to," Johnson said when asked what he likes most about Auburn. "Just the opportunity to come in and contribute."

While he has been a fan of Alabama's "business-like mentality" during the process, a chance to play early seems to be a point of emphasis for Johnson. After signing seven defensive linemen this past February, the Tigers aren't likely to sign a lot of defensive linemen this recruiting cycle — though Johnson is near the top of their wish list on that front.

"That's a big thing," he said. "They kind of stress the issue that I'm a priority to them. They expect me to come in kind of Day 1 and contribute, and that's my plan as well. If I can come in and give it my all, hopefully I'll play a lot my freshman year; that's my plan."

Johnson plans to be back at Auburn for another unofficial visit during the season opener against Clemson on Sept. 3. Don't expect a decision from the nation's No. 7 defensive end any time soon, though.

That part of the process is still a way down the road for Johnson, making for a long recruiting battle between Auburn and Alabama for one of the country's top players.

"Whenever it feels right," Johnson said of a decision date. "Or signing day."

 

 

[SumterAubie 3,031]

So what was the menu? Burgers and dogs? Ribs? Steak? All of the above?

[bigbird 60,447]

3 minutes ago, SumterAubie said:

So what was the menu? Burgers and dogs? Ribs? Steak? All of the above?

[RunInRed 16,372]

#Auburn recruiting update: Takeaways from the War Damn BBQ event (FREE) https://t.co/tjzK7XOmte pic.twitter.com/ELEUSPeBIe

— Keith Niebuhr (@Keith247Sports) July 25, 2016