Kerryon Johnson is one of the top multi-positional prospects in the nation and one of the top players in the Southeast region, and is being pursued by a large amount of top-tier programs.
Johnson attends Madison Academy in Madison, Ala., and can play multiple different positions. The two positions most widely raised as possibilities for him at the next level are running back and safety. He is listed at 6'0 and weighs in at 190 pounds.
As of late May, the rising senior is considered a four-star prospect by 247sports composite, the No. 3 athlete in the country, and the No. 2 player in the state.
As expected from such a highly rated recruit coming out of Alabama, both Auburn and Alabama are among the teams that have offered Johnson, along with Florida State, LSU, Clemson, USC and others. He can be found on Twitter @AyeyoKEJO.
Note: This is a scouting report and not a recruiting report. No attention is paid to where a recruit is committed, nor will any attempt to update these be made to reflect commitments. This is solely about a recruit's ability.
Johnson plays both running back and safety, so I evaluated him at both spots. As an athlete, however, he possesses college-ready size at either running back or safety, and he can add some more good muscle at the college level. He has an excellent blend of speed, quickness, balance and body control.
As a safety ...
Johnson closes ground very quickly, allowing him to bait quarterbacks into throws, and get there in time for the interception or deflection. He is aggressive in run support and will play with physicality. And I like that he is a good tackler, and not just an athlete who tries to "hit stick" everyone at all times. And he is extremely good at avoiding blocks.
As a running back ...
Johnson is the ideal back for a spread attack. He is deadly in space because of his body control, balance and acceleration. And after he shakes a defender, he has the speed to take it the distance.
Johnson could turn out to be a very good safety, or a spread running back at the college level and is clearly one of the 100 best players in the country. I prefer Johnson at safety, but have no doubt that he can be successful in any role.