Miami Hurricanes receivers coach Rob Likens has kept his promise to look all over the country to find the perfect fits for his WR group, offering a ton of out of state talents in recent weeks. One of the newest bids went St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (VA) 4-star WR Malcolm Johnson two weeks back, and Johnson was excited about the prospect of learning more about Miami.
“[Likens] told me that I actually had an offer from Miami, and I felt like it was a **** of an accomplishment, as it is for all my offers,” Johnson said. “But the U, it’s a different place, and I haven’t really visited or anything, so I think I would definitely be interested in going because I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about it.”
The 6-1 185 pound prospect says he is looking forward to making a visit to UM once the quarantine is over, and that a trip to Coral Gables will allow him to decide if Miami will be a player for his commitment down the line.
“I don’t really know too much about them because I haven’t visited down there, and if I’m able to get down there, it will really help a lot,” Johnson said of Miami. “This quarantine stuff is making it rough, its just held back some visits and decisions. I felt like that was major and that’s made it harder for me to get an understanding of colleges and exactly where I want to go and narrowing down my list.”
With now back-to-back first round picks out of his former school in Arizona State, Likens has a strong recent track record of producing receivers for the next level, and pitched to Johnson how well OC Rhett Lashlee has developed passcatchers in his offenses as well.
“[Likens] was just telling me how the OC actually has a great track record of putting guys in the NFL,” Johnson said. “I know their receiver at SMU last year (James Proche) had over 100 catches, and that they like to throw the ball around.”
Last month, Johnson put out a top 12 schools list, and pointed to programs like Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, and South Carolina as some from that group that are really beginning to standout. However, the 4-star prospect admits that he is still open to other suitors as well.
“I have my top list, but a few schools offered me after that, so it’s just even more crazy now and I’m interested in more schools than what my list started with,” Johnson said. “Definitely other schools could jump in and make my next top group.”
Another school that made Johnson’s top list was local program Maryland, who was also his most recent visit back in early March.
“I’ve been to Maryland a million times, it’s the closest school to me, right around the corner practically,” Johnson said. “I talk to coach Locks (Mike Locksley) and coach Joker (Phillips). They just say that it’s home, and they’re building something really special.”
With the coronavirus shutdowns still in place, Johnson seems to be in wait-and-see mode regarding his recruitment, and put a lot of emphasis on his future visits dictating his decision process.
“I was thinking about making a decision before the season, and that might still be possible if I take some official visits soon,” Johnson said. “I hope I can take some in the summer - I haven’t really gone to any of the southern schools yet, so that’s what I’m planning to do once this is over.
“I’m definitely looking for somewhere I can do track and football, that’s a big part of my decision. The opportunity that a school can provide outside of sports is a big thing to me. Then, a program that’s really serious, where I’m surrounded by like-minds and we all want to accomplish something bigger.”
As a junior in 2019, Johnson played the role of a big-play threat for the Saints, posting a 47-832-7 receiving line in 8 games played, adding 70 rushing yards and 2 TD’s on the ground, and 2 return TD’s on special teams as well.
“My mindset is really, when I get the ball, to score every single time. I feel like that’s a huge advantage for a receiver instead of getting the ball and settling for just the yards you have in front of you. I like to try and score and do what I can for the team.
“I want to work on my lateral agility, I feel like that could use some improvement. Staying low out of my breaks, and route running consistently.”
At the Opening Washington DC Regional last May, Johnson clocked a 4.60 40-yard dash, a 4.20 shuttle time, and a 39.00 inch vertical leap.
“[Likens] told me that I actually had an offer from Miami, and I felt like it was a **** of an accomplishment, as it is for all my offers,” Johnson said. “But the U, it’s a different place, and I haven’t really visited or anything, so I think I would definitely be interested in going because I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about it.”
The 6-1 185 pound prospect says he is looking forward to making a visit to UM once the quarantine is over, and that a trip to Coral Gables will allow him to decide if Miami will be a player for his commitment down the line.
“I don’t really know too much about them because I haven’t visited down there, and if I’m able to get down there, it will really help a lot,” Johnson said of Miami. “This quarantine stuff is making it rough, its just held back some visits and decisions. I felt like that was major and that’s made it harder for me to get an understanding of colleges and exactly where I want to go and narrowing down my list.”
With now back-to-back first round picks out of his former school in Arizona State, Likens has a strong recent track record of producing receivers for the next level, and pitched to Johnson how well OC Rhett Lashlee has developed passcatchers in his offenses as well.
“[Likens] was just telling me how the OC actually has a great track record of putting guys in the NFL,” Johnson said. “I know their receiver at SMU last year (James Proche) had over 100 catches, and that they like to throw the ball around.”
Last month, Johnson put out a top 12 schools list, and pointed to programs like Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, and South Carolina as some from that group that are really beginning to standout. However, the 4-star prospect admits that he is still open to other suitors as well.
“I have my top list, but a few schools offered me after that, so it’s just even more crazy now and I’m interested in more schools than what my list started with,” Johnson said. “Definitely other schools could jump in and make my next top group.”
Another school that made Johnson’s top list was local program Maryland, who was also his most recent visit back in early March.
“I’ve been to Maryland a million times, it’s the closest school to me, right around the corner practically,” Johnson said. “I talk to coach Locks (Mike Locksley) and coach Joker (Phillips). They just say that it’s home, and they’re building something really special.”
With the coronavirus shutdowns still in place, Johnson seems to be in wait-and-see mode regarding his recruitment, and put a lot of emphasis on his future visits dictating his decision process.
“I was thinking about making a decision before the season, and that might still be possible if I take some official visits soon,” Johnson said. “I hope I can take some in the summer - I haven’t really gone to any of the southern schools yet, so that’s what I’m planning to do once this is over.
“I’m definitely looking for somewhere I can do track and football, that’s a big part of my decision. The opportunity that a school can provide outside of sports is a big thing to me. Then, a program that’s really serious, where I’m surrounded by like-minds and we all want to accomplish something bigger.”
As a junior in 2019, Johnson played the role of a big-play threat for the Saints, posting a 47-832-7 receiving line in 8 games played, adding 70 rushing yards and 2 TD’s on the ground, and 2 return TD’s on special teams as well.
“My mindset is really, when I get the ball, to score every single time. I feel like that’s a huge advantage for a receiver instead of getting the ball and settling for just the yards you have in front of you. I like to try and score and do what I can for the team.
“I want to work on my lateral agility, I feel like that could use some improvement. Staying low out of my breaks, and route running consistently.”
At the Opening Washington DC Regional last May, Johnson clocked a 4.60 40-yard dash, a 4.20 shuttle time, and a 39.00 inch vertical leap.
