12/18/2019 football Edit

Notre Dame Signee Profile: WR Jordan Johnson

Mike Singer • InsideNDSports

Recruiting Insider

Notre Dame has officially landed its highest ranked recruit in the 2020 class in St. Louis De Smet five-star wide receiver Jordan Johnson, the school has announced.

The Fighting Irish have a big-time, playmaking weapon to add to the 2020 roster, and Johnson will look to make an impact right away in South Bend.

Rivals rates Johnson as a five-star talent, the top recruit in Missouri, and the No. 3 wide receiver and No. 25 overall player in the nation. (Brandon Brown)

RANKINGS

Rivals: Five-star talent, No. 1 prospect in Missouri, and No. 3 wide receiver and No. 25 overall player nationally

ESPN: Four-star prospect, No. 2 player in Missouri, and No. 5 wide receiver and No. 47 overall recruit in the country

STATISTICS

2019 Stats: 29 receptions for 587 yards and nine touchdowns

2018 Stats: 28 receptions for 721 yards and nine touchdowns

2017 Stats: 26 receptions for 655 yards and nine touchdowns

2017-19 Stats: 83 receptions for 1,963 yards and 27 touchdowns

Per St. Louis Dispatch

NOTABLE

• 2020 All-American Bowl participant

• 2019 MaxPreps Missouri All-State Football second-team offense

• No. 3 on The St. Louis Dispatch 2019 Preseason Super 30

• Played a key role in turning around a De Smet program that went 1-9 in 2017 to 14-0 in 2019

• Caught five passes for 84 yards in De Smet’s 35-20 win against Joplin (Mo.) High (13-1) in the 2019 championship game of the Class 6 Missouri state playoffs.

• Has been clocked at a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash

RECRUITMENT

Offer Sheet: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin

Simply put, Notre Dame did an excellent job in recruiting St. Louis De Smet wide receiver Jordan Johnson.

Florida Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC, among many other schools, tried to land Johnson’s commitment, but multiple visits to Notre Dame and selling him on the university put the Fighting Irish over the top in his recruitment.

Johnson’s original plan was to commit July 28, but during his official visit to Notre Dame April 5-7, the 6-2, 182-pounder felt at home and announced his pledge to the Irish.

A key selling point from Notre Dame would be how Johnson would be used in their offense. However, just one week before National Signing Day, news broke that offensive coordinator Chip Long would be leaving the Notre Dame program.

Johnson loved how he was told he would be able shine in Long’s offense, but even with his departure, the five-star recruit was sold first on Notre Dame. He stuck true to his pledge, and wide receivers coach Del Alexander played a key role in helping Johnson staying locked in with the Fighting Irish.

QUOTABLE

“Notre Dame is home. The relationship I built with the coaches is strong. It just felt like it was meant to be. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, so I pulled the trigger and shut everything down.” — Johnson

ANALYST TAKE

“A wide receiver with long limbs, very strong hands, and big time speed, he rarely is pressed at the line of scrimmage because the defenders respect his speed and strength. He possesses a terrific burst and an uncanny knack for finding the open seam. Jordan can also catch the ball with his hands and away from his body and is electric after the catch.” — Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report and CBS Sports Network