WVU Takes Second Swing at Landing Former Top Recruit in West Virginia
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West Virginia is back in the mix for cornerback Isaiah Johnson, who was the top-rated player in the state back in the 2021 recruiting class. After spending two years at Arizona State, the Bluefield, WV native elected to enter the transfer portal.
Johnson appeared in four games before redshirting in 2021 and this season, he appeared in six games totaling 16 tackles, two pass breakups, and one tackle for loss.
Coming out of high school, Johnson chose the Sun Devils over other offers from Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, USC, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, and West Virginia among several others.
The Mountaineers made the top 8 for Johnson, while Arizona State did not. Johnson received his offer from ASU roughly two weeks after releasing his top eight schools. Just days after receiving the offer, Johnson dropped his top five schools, which West Virginia was not featured in.
Since entering the portal, Johnson has received offers from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
Analysis from SI All-American on Johnson:
"Athletic and speedy, Johnson is a defensive back with some positional versatility on the back-end. He could eventually fit in well as a boundary corner with his size and athleticism, but it would not be shocking to see him grow into a starting safety in college. While there are some raw areas of his game that need to be refined, such as his transition/plant-and-drive footwork and press-man technique at the line of scrimmage, Johnson possesses elite length and speed, along with good ball skills. He will find a home in a collegiate secondary and develop into a starting-caliber back-end defender."
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