4-star safety Jordon Johnson-Rubell trims list to five
IMG Academy four-star safety Jordon Johnson-Rubell has narrowed his list of top schools down to five.
The No. 148 overall prospect and No. 12 safety in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings holds offers from several notable Power Five programs but opted to narrow his list to Michigan, Ohio State, TCU, Texas and USC.
Of the schools in his top five, Johnson-Rubell is set to take officials to USC (June 1), Michigan (June 9), Ohio State (June 16) and Texas (June 23).
He doesn’t have an official set for TCU but the Fort Worth native has visited his hometown team over 15 times already.
“No one’s in the lead right now,” Johnson-Rubell told On3. “All of them are on the same path and no one’s in the read right now. These OVs are going to help me a lot showing me which schools are separating themselves.
“Talking with these coaches and sitting with them in the film room is a big thing for me. The education, player development as well. Now that I’m down to five schools, I don’t have to worry about 30 others so which school sits down with me, wants to watch film with me and which coaches show me the most interest.”
Johnson-Rubell touches on each of his top schools
Michigan: “They’re a guaranteed top-four nationally-ranked team every year. Being in that category is a big thing for me and Coach (Jim) Harbaugh is a smart coach. Coach Harbaugh told me things about myself that weren’t the good things but things I needed to work on and I had never heard that before so it surprised me a lot. The foundation they have there and the education they have there is great.”
Ohio State: “They always have the top receivers in the nation so you going against the top receivers in practice every day is going to make it easier during a game. Anything to help me develop my game and make me better, that’s why I like Ohio State. Coach (Perry) Eliano is a Texas guy, we have family friends who know each other and he’s a great coach.”
TCU: “It’s the hometown school. I’ve seen them grow over the years from when I was younger and they had Trevone Boykin. When Coach Patterson was there, he started recruiting me hen I was 14 and in the eighth grade. The way they develop DBs with Coach (Paul) Gonzales and Coach (Carlton) Buckles, they’ve had to Jim Thorpe Award sinners in Trevon Moehrig and Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson so they know how to produce DBs.”
Texas: “I’ve seen Texas four times but I’ve seen Coach (Blake) Gideon at least 30 times so he’s always one of the coaches in my ear. They run the same scheme that we run at IMG so I love their scheme. They’re a winning program producing some of the top receivers over the last recent years. Guarding those types of guys at practice would make me better. Them going to the SEC is another big thing for me. They’re playing better competition playing in the SEC.”
USC: “When Coach (Lincoln) Riley was at Oklahoma, I was big on Oklahoma. Oklahoma was in the lead when I was a freshman and a sophomore. The way Coach Riley runs his team, I was big on Oklahoma and now that he’s at USC, he made them even better. Also, Coach (Donte) Williams, sitting in the film room and watching him coach, I like the way he coaches. He helped guys who were in my shoes before at IMG. Also Taylor Mays, a veteran who played at USC is there so all of the players DB guys make me like USC.”