Fast-rising LB Fred Johnson commits to South Carolina
Norfolk (Va.) Maury class of 2024 three-star linebacker Fred Johnson wasted no time in joining the South Carolina program.
Just over two weeks since he landed an offer from the Gamecocks following an impressive camp performance in Columbia, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder announced a verbal commitment to South Carolina.
The pledge comes exactly one week after Johnson was on campus for his official visit with the Gamecocks, a trip that came together quickly after the camp showing and subsequent offer.
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Johnson, who will play linebacker for the Gamecocks, was recruited to Columbia by defensive coordinator Clayton White and chooses South Carolina over Power 5 offers from Virginia Tech, Duke, Rutgers, and Maryland.
While he is fairly new on the recruiting radar, Johnson debuted with a solid three-star grade from the recruiting industry.
Johnson, who also plays receiver in high school, has put on about 30 pounds of good weight since he was originally listed on his On3 profile as a 195-pound wide receiver prospect.
He debuts as the No. 489 overall prospect in the country and the No. 53 linebacker with a rating of 88.50 in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that includes all four major recruiting media services. He also checks in as the No. 9 prospect in Virginia.
There could be room here, though, for some upward mobility as On3 gathers more information on Johnson as a prospect. 247Sports gives him a rating of 89 as the No. 33 linebacker in the cycle.
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Johnson had considered taking an official visit to Virginia Tech later this month but evidently saw all he needed to see on his South Carolina visit.
“I would say the coaches, facilities, stuff like that, how much they care about you,” he said of what stood out about the Carolina OV. “They (were telling me they) want me bad, stuff like that, telling me they want me really bad.”
Johnson is the 11th public pledge to a South Carolina recruiting class that has added three commits this week, two that are public and one that’s still silent.
Before factoring in his commitment, South Carolina had the No. 8 class in the 2024 On3 Team Recruiting Rankings.
Riverside (Mo.) Park Hill’s Mason Love, the No. 3 punter in the country according to On3, also committed to South Carolina this week.
