SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Cornerback Lonnie Johnson
Cats Illustrated isn't waiting until National Signing Day to get you ready for all the action. We're rolling out Signing Day content all week.
In our new Signing Day Preview series we'll profile every single one of Kentucky's 2017 early enrollees as well as those who won't be signing until Wednesday.
STATUS: Already enrolled
RESUME: Johnson had five interceptions as a junior college football player and was the No. 54 junior college prospect in the nation according to Rivals.com.
RECRUITING HISTORY: As a high school player Johnson was once one of the Midwest's top prospects and was verbally committed to Ohio State. He subsequently signed, first as a high schooler then as a JUCO player, with Western Michigan and then Iowa State. This time around Kentucky, Georgia and Memphis were among Johnson's finalists. He took official visits to UK and UGA before picking the Cats at a press conference.
SCOUTING REPORT: It's easy to see that Johnson was once a heralded receiver recruit because he has very good ball skills. He can play the deep ball, adjusts well to it in the air and high points effectively. He has solid footwork, has eyes who read the quarterback's and has excellent leaping ability. The only knock has nothing to do with Johnson's ability; he just has two years to make two season's worth of impact, so his contributions will be determined by how quickly he picks up the defense and adjusts to SEC football.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: It's not clear whether Johnson will be an immediate starter but he, perhaps more than any other commitment in the entire class, was recruited to play right away. Johnson can play corner or safety and could thus have more opportunities to get onto the field.
MORE LONNIE JOHNSON COVERAGE AT CATS ILLUSTRATED
SCOUTING THE COMMITS: Lonnie Johnson
POST-COMMITMENT Q&A: Johnson's talk with reporters after his commitment
| Size | Speed | Coverage | Ball Skills | Instincts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10/10 |
8.5/10 |
7/10 |
9/10 |
8/10 |
