SCOUTING THE COMMITS: Cornerback Lonnie Johnson
Cats Illustrated's series of scouting reports on UK's commitments continues with Lonnie Johnson, one of two players to commit to the Cats on Tuesday.
MORE IN CATS ILLUSTRATED'S "SCOUTING THE COMMITS" SERIES
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Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) Boyd Anderson cornerback Michael Nesbitt
Olney (Md.) Good Counsel offensive tackle Naasir Watkins
Cordova (Tenn.) defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna
Holland (Ohio) Springfield running back Bryant Koback
Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna defensive end Chris Whittaker
STRENGTHS: Johnson, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, is a dynamic athlete in the secondary. That's been evident ever since he was a high school recruit committed to Urban Meyer's Ohio State program. It's just as true today.
Johnson is capable of playing press coverage. In many respects he's very much in the mold of current UK cornerbacks Chris Westry and Derrick Baity. His build is similar. His ball skills are as well. He's also adept in off man coverage and breaks on the ball very well, thanks to his eyes, which are almost always on the quarterback, and awareness.
He's good at locating the ball quickly and making instinctive plays even when he's slightly out of position. His ball skills are undeniable. Ohio State liked Johnson as a wide receiver, if evidence of that is needed.
Coaches want cornerbacks with good, fluid hips, and that's a strength in Johnson's game.
Johnson has been a threat to block kicks on special teams units during his junior college stint. That could be something that translates to a specialized role early in his time at Kentucky, aside from his expected contributions on defense.
Johnson also has the right mentality for a cornerback. He relishes being on an island, will talk to the man across from him and plays with a swagger that speaks to a confidence that's required to be in that position.
Athletically Johnson has some track star qualities to him. His leaping ability is impressive and he high points the ball smoothly and with ease.
In his last year of junior college football Johnson was a productive player throughout the season (36 tackles, five interceptions). He also seems to have figured out some of the past issues that plagued him academically. Having formerly signed with Western Michigan and Iowa State, but failing to qualify, Johnson is excited to be on track and good to go academically at an FBS school for the first time. He's likely to be grateful for the opportunity that comes at the end of a long road.
Although Kentucky has recruited Johnson as a corner he certainly has the skill set to play free safety if were to ever need to.
MORE CATS ILLUSTRATED COVERAGE OF LONNIE JOHNSON'S ANNOUNCEMENT
VIDEO: See and hear what Lonnie Johnson told media in Gary, Ind., after picking UK
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Sometimes when Johnson is opposite a wideout in press man he gets turned around trying to force him outside, when the receiver goes in, and he's survived that because of his recovery skills and closing speed, but he'll need to show good discipline to avoid that in the SEC.
When Johnson was a high school recruit one of the things scouts said was he needed to run better routes and continue to improve his hands. But that was when he was being evaluated as a receiver.
Now, with just two years of eligibility remaining, the big question is how quickly Johnson will become acclimated to the speed and, perhaps more significantly, the physicality of SEC football. In terms of his athletic qualities Johnson will fit right in. How ready will he be to get off blocks, fight off hands and battle near the line of scrimmage and downfield with players who have been in SEC weight programs for two, three or four years? That will determine how quickly he makes an impact and how much of an impact he makes.