2017 4* DE Ryan Johnson

[ellitor 33,083]

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Auburn is turning up the heat on St. Paul's defensive lineman Ryan Johnson.

The four-star defensive end, who is ranked the No. 6 strong-side defensive end in the Class of 2017 according to the 247Sports Composite, is in Montgomery this week as part of the Alabama team for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. The 6-foot-3, 253-pounder said the Tigers' coaches are "really stressing the issue" when it comes to his recruitment, making him a priority as they look to shore up another top 10 signing class.

"I'm feeling good about them," Johnson said Tuesday. "They came and saw me twice, so that was a really big day for me. They're definitely showing they want me at the school. I just keep building a relationship and I feel good about the program."

Auburn is one of six finalists for Johnson, who is rated the No. 10 player in the state of Alabama. The Tigers join in-state rival Alabama, Notre Dame, Stanford, Texas and USC as the schools vying for Johnson's commitment, which he said will come in the next two months before National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

Johnson already has four official visits planned for next month. After participating in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 1, he will visit Stanford on Jan. 14, followed by a trip to Texas on Jan. 19. After that, Johnson will take his official visit to the Plains on Jan. 21 before heading to Tuscaloosa on Jan. 28, the weekend before signing day.

Johnson does not have any unofficial visits planned as of now due to time constraints, but he added he is considering taking his fifth official visit to USC, which has ramped up its pursuit of the Mobile product of late thanks to head coach Clay Helton and defensive line coach Kenechi Odeze. If Johnson has time, he "definitely will" visit the Trojans next month.

However, Auburn and Alabama appear to the be frontrunners for the in-state defensive end. Alabama currently has one defensive lineman committed to its 2017 class, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, while Auburn does not have any defensive line commits yet this cycle.

That fact is not lost on Johnson.

"They're really stressing the issue that they want me to come," Johnson said. "Like I said, I see the need for D-linemen. They roll a lot of people at Auburn, and that's a good thing."

Johnson was particularly impressed by what Auburn's defensive line was able to accomplish this past season under coach Rodney Garner and first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

After ranking 102nd nationally in sacks last season with just 19, Auburn improved dramatically to finish this season with 25 sacks. The defensive line also helped contribute to a substantially improved run defense, with the Tigers ranking 21stnationally and limited opponents to just 124.83 yards on the ground this season after ranking 80th last year at 182.54 yards per game.

"They set the bar high," Johnson said. "Marlon (Davidson) coming in as a freshman and starting, that was a big thing as well. Getting to learn from him, that's a big thing."

Johnson said Auburn has talked to him about playing the same position as Davidson, who came on strong this season and became the first freshman to start on Auburn's defensive line since at least 1985. He is also open to tacking on some more weight and making the move inside to defensive tackle, though he is comfortable at either spot.

The idea of early playing time certainly appeals to Johnson, who noted the contributions of both Davidson and five-star freshman Derrick Brown this season on Auburn's deep defensive line. With the Tigers replacing seniors Montravius Adams, Maurice Swain and Devaroe Lawrence, and possibly having to replace junior Carl Lawson -- who partook in Senior Day festivities and could declare early for the NFL Draft -- the opportunity could be there for Johnson to see the field early on.

"I want to play early on," Johnson said. "I want to be on the field when I'm ready and I can make an impact; I don't want to just be taking up space."

Of course, that's only one of the factors contributing to Johnson's decision-making process. It's also not the most important one for the big-time defense end prospect.

"(I want) to make sure I can be a very successful person wherever I go," Johnson said, "on and off the field."

 

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[Randman5000 4,226]

I like what I read. he's saying the right things

[doc4aday 1,887]

Any news on him? He will get everything he wants when he signs with us and not those turdwinkles.

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

Mark Jennings from one of the podcast on wareaglesportsradio.com wasnt too high on Johnson. Thought he had a bad game in the Alabama/Mississippi allstar game. 

 

I personally didnt pay attention to specific linemen in the game. I do recall thinking Mississippi's Oline was better than Alabama's Oline but maybe it was the Dline that was the problem.

[ellitor 33,083]

8 hours ago, doc4aday said:

Any news on him? He will get everything he wants when he signs with us and not those turdwinkles.

Still AU believed to lead but Bama is a threat and Stanford can be too if he gets admitted there academically. Still planning to commit just before NSD.

[doc4aday 1,887]

8 hours ago, ellitor said:

Still AU believed to lead but Bama is a threat and Stanford can be too if he gets admitted there academically. Still planning to commit just before NSD.

I like the idea of possibly getting playing as a true freshman for incentive to sign with us. He will not get to play as a true freshman at bammer of which most of us will agree. We need to keep our depth as close to as we had this year. How many SEC teams do you know of that had the quality depth we did this season? I would guess bammer and us as the best.

[ellitor 33,083]

On 12/23/2016 at 2:26 PM, doc4aday said:

I like the idea of possibly getting playing as a true freshman for incentive to sign with us. He will not get to play as a true freshman at bammer of which most of us will agree. We need to keep our depth as close to as we had this year. How many SEC teams do you know of that had the quality depth we did this season? I would guess bammer and us as the best.

He likely won't play as a true freshman at AU either barring a rash of injuries or attrition.

[milehighfan 1,240]

I know Stanford is a great school but why would you want to go to Palo Alto, California to play. Your family and friends won't be able to come watch you play many games, unless the Cardinal plans to play a few games East of the Rockies.

[AUTiger2012 84]

12 minutes ago, milehighfan said:

I know Stanford is a great school but why would you want to go to Palo Alto, California to play. Your family and friends won't be able to come watch you play many games, unless the Cardinal plans to play a few games East of the Rockies.

Its also built on a natural fault line.

[ellitor 33,083]

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Don’t count out the Longhorns

Now, we transition from the Lanier Longhorns to the Texas Longhorns.

Ryan Johnson announced via Twitter on Thursday that Texas will host him on an official visit this weekend. Johnson originally planned to visit Alabama the last weekend, but a crowded Crimson Tide class rearranged his schedule. Johnson wasn’t sure he’d make it to Texas or USC, but the Longhorns won out.

 

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OV To The University of Texas this weekend! Hook Em. Ready to see Austin for the first time and, UT fans, some of the BEST, show love

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After Johnson’s visit to Auburn, it appeared to be an Auburn-Stanford battle. Johnson recently received admission to Stanford. That was a big plot twist. Auburn gave him an A-plus visit. But Tom Herman & Co. have been on Johnson for a while. They visited Johnson’s home the same day last week as Gus Malzahn.

Johnson hasn’t said much about Texas throughout his recruitment, but here’s a small taste of how the Longhorns fit in — as told by Johnson at the Alabama-Mississippi all-star game.

“It’s a program with a lot of good history. I don’t want to just rule them out because of the coaching staff change. Tom Herman and the D-line coach, they reached out to me immediately. They’ve stressed the issue that they need D-linemen,” Johnson said. “I just don’t want to rule them out because once they get it together, it’s going to be a hard team to stop.”

 

 

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

He will have a great time in Austin but this late in his recruitment I still think it is an Auburn Stanford battle.  This will be a tough choice for the kid as Stanford's academics are great. I am hoping that the distance plays a part in his decision also as his family can see him play more easily at Auburn. Auburn has great academics but Stanford is one of the elite schools in academics.

[milehighfan 1,240]

I read he wants to study engineering so that is a plus for Auburn. Isn't Stanford's academic strong suit in business?

[DyeCampAlum 335]

9 minutes ago, milehighfan said:

I read he wants to study engineering so that is a plus for Auburn. Isn't Stanford's academic strong suit in business?

Stanford's academic strong suit is academics. They're equal to Harvard and Princeton -- and all over the curriculum. There's no academic "plus" for Auburn unless he perceives a better fit or a specific concentration.

[dabrasco 127]

2 hours ago, DyeCampAlum said:

Stanford's academic strong suit is academics. They're equal to Harvard and Princeton -- and all over the curriculum. There's no academic "plus" for Auburn unless he perceives a better fit or a specific concentration.

I would pick Auburn's Agriculture program over Stanford's any day

[fredst 9,064]

Stanford has few equals academically and great athletics to go along. Big culture shock from AL to Palo Alto though.

[ellitor 33,083]

2 hours ago, fredst said:

Stanford has few equals academically and great athletics to go along. Big culture shock from AL to Palo Alto though.

Wasn't for me. Country is Country & just outside of Palo Alto is a lot of country.

[augolf1716 21,103]

41 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Wasn't for me. Country is Country & just outside of Palo Alto is a lot of country.

I love Palo Alto decent golf courses

[Harp_AU2013 221]

CBs to the good guys

[mickeyspano 40]

On 12/31/2016 at 8:42 PM, AUTiger2012 said:

Its also built on a natural fault line.

But it is also one of the finest Universities in the country.

[AUTiger2012 84]

2 hours ago, mickeyspano said:

But it is also one of the finest Universities in the country.

Thats great, but id rather have a sub par education than be swallowed by the earth.

[fredst 9,064]

49 minutes ago, AUTiger2012 said:

Thats great, but id rather have a sub par education than be swallowed by the earth.

Well played.

[gulftiger66 166]

20 hours ago, fredst said:

Stanford has few equals academically and great athletics to go along. Big culture shock from AL to Palo Alto though.

Nothing against Auburn academics but playing football and maintaining high academic standings in a challenging curriculum such as Engineering at a school like Stanford is a tall order.  As I recall, Ben Obamanu had the chance to go to Stanford but chose Auburn instead.  He was thus able to play closer to home while at the same time achieving his academic goals. Last I heard he was in Law School, or had recently graduated.  I imagine that he will embark on a successful career and the lack of a more "prestigious" degree will have little impact on his future.  This is just my take on academics.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

1 hour ago, AUTiger2012 said:

Thats great, but id rather have a sub par education than be swallowed by the earth.

I will concede that Stanford is academically better than Auburn but you will still get a great education at Auburn not a sub par education.

[AUTiger2012 84]

Just now, AuburnNTexas said:

I will concede that Stanford is academically better than Auburn but you will still get a great education at Auburn not a sub par education.

I graduated from Auburn.  My point is not that Auburn is sub par it is that i don't want to die from an earthquake just to say i went to a top 10 academic institution.

[ellitor 33,083]

Take the AU-Stanford school debate on a macro level to PMs please & lets get back to Ryan Johnson.