Tysheem Johnson, SI All-American Athlete, Commits to Ole Miss
It's clear after one week that the Ole Miss defense could use an influx of talent. Well, Tysheem Johnson is here to help.
A 5-foot-10, 185 pound athlete recruit, Tysheem Johnson committed to Ole Miss on Wednesday night over Arizona State, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Maryland and Stanford.
A high school running back and safety, Johnson totaled nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2019 as a junior with 1,434 yards rushing and 537 yards through the air. However, Johnson told The Grove Report earlier this month that he'll play primarily in the star safety role for Ole Miss, although they may let him touch the ball offensively as well.
(MORE: Tysheem Johnson Evaluation: Could He Start Day One for Ole Miss?)
For Johnson, a big part of his commitment comes down to his relationship with Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge. The Rebel coach had been recruiting Johnson since his sophomore season, back when Partridge was at Michigan. That connection clearly carried over to Oxford.
With Johnson's commitment, the Ole Miss class of 2021 recruiting class now stands at 13 committed players. Six of the 13 are either defensive backs or athletes that likely project to Ole Miss as defensive backs. The Rebel secondary could look very different in one year.
Below you can find Johnson's junior year highlights, plus his full SI All-American scouting report. Be sure to check back over the next few days, as we'll have more on Johnson and his decision.
(MORE: Where Does Ole Miss Stand With the Class of 2021?)
Frame: Average length, yet excellent chisel and definition. Clearly defined upper-body and abdomen with tight waist. Straight lower-base with fair bubble for size.
Athleticism: Plays multiple positions with good foot quickness and lower-half coordination. Balanced in his pedal and his solid hip fluidity to flip and transition. Change of direction appears more natural and fluid after he’s been on the move. Drives on underneath routes with good angles to ball and man.
Instincts: Works with good ball skills on back end with good eyes, feel, anticipation, judgment and assertion in air traffic. Disrupts catch points with physicality more than length. Is reliable to walk into box pre-snap and play as a force-player from the wing/flanks. Also will play the run from depth and meet ball-carriers on second level.
Polish: Contributes as a safety, boundary corner, receiver, running back and return specialist. Safety position features him on the boundary hash and in the post, with cover-1 and cover-4 concepts. Limited size and length. Needs to add mass and strength to tackle college ball-carriers solo. Must improve man coverage skills.
Bottom Line: While he possesses average size, Johnson is a reliable safety prospect whose best attribute is his ball skills. He isn’t afraid to contribute to combatting the run, but his value comes from what he does when the ball is in flight. Johnson projects best as post or split safety in a college secondary that features quarters coverage concepts.
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