Storm Johnson expected to be in this position.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back from Buford (Ga.) High School is only a junior, but he’s already received scholarship offers from four schools: Tennessee, Stanford, South Florida and Central Florida.
Johnson can credit his work ethic and confidence for his early success.
“I’ve always had big dreams,” Johnson said. “I’ve never dreamed small.
“I still have a dream of playing in the NFL. I always knew if I worked a certain way I would be the player I should be.”
Johnson has already become a player worth a scholarship offer from UT.
Johnson said he received the offer from Vols defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron.
“I loved it,” Johnson said. “Tennessee is an up and coming program. They have all new coaches so I can’t wait to see what they do in the year (2009).”
Johnson has already seen UT’s success in the past. He said he’s waiting to see if new UT coach Lane Kiffin and his staff can rebuild the Vols.
“It was 2007 they went to the SEC championship game so I know they’re competitive,” Johnson said. “They just need the right guidance from the coaching staff to get there. They’re a real good up and coming program.”
Johnson will likely have offers from more programs in the near future.
He said he’s received interest from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Miami, Georgia Tech and UCLA.
With so much early college attention, Johnson said he’s received advice from highly touted cornerback Branden Smith from Booker T. Washington in nearby Atlanta.
Smith is committed to sign with Georgia next month.
“He just told me don’t let all this stuff get to your head,” Johnson said. “Just use it as a working tool and keep working at it. Never get perfect.”
A perfect fit for Johnson would seem to be joining his friend Smith at Georgia.
Johnson, however, said he’s more interested in playing outside the state, although he hasn’t closed the door on the Bulldogs yet.
“Right now it’s medium,” Johnson said of his interest in Georgia. “If they came hard I would be interested in them.
“I’m looking to meet new people and go to a state I’ve never been before. I don’t want to stay at home. My parents don’t want me to stay at home either.”
Finding his next home is the key.
Johnson, who plans to graduate high school in December, said he’ll be looking for a school that feels like home.
“That’s the biggest decision I’ll make,” he said, “because no matter what you do on the football field, if you don’t feel welcome or you don’t feel like it’s home you’re not going to have a great time there.”
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Comments » 63
senracjr writes:
2010 has already gotten under way or so it seems.
NoogaVol55 writes:
He likes out of state...and the NFL...could there be a better match for him!!
bls8617#370509 writes:
Haha I know, perception must be worse than I thought. But if you think about it a kid this age was, what, about 6 when we won the national title?
gnm53108 writes:
Good work Coach Orgeron.
Now we need to reel in those we already have on the line for this year.
txvolsfan writes:
We could do it on the first of the month when they are waiting at the mailbox for their welfare check. They wouldn't know what hit'em.
redstickvol writes:
You must mean canned Eric Berry urine!
HtownVol writes:
Wow, bro you said it all. You really said everything that I have thought about this team that Lane Kiffin is building. I do think that we will be one of the best programs in the country in the next 4-5 years. All the Gators... will not want to hear this b/c they think UF is a dynasty( How are they a dynasty? They went like 8-5 last year. THEY ARE NO DYNASTY!! 2/3 N.Cs are great but its nowhere near what USC is doing. Anyway, the recruiting classes WILL be in the top 3 every year CLK is here. And he will turn that talent into W's. Unlike the previous coach. I loved Fulmer but with the talent we had he should have had more wins. ITS GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOL!!
ctownvol writes:
With a Storm carrying the rock for the Swarm we can't go wrong.
HtownVol writes:
Im sure he would turn pro if he was old enough. Its kinda hard to do when he is not allowes. A player must be out of high school 3 years to enter the draft... Do the math. What do you say now??
HtownVol writes:
Against who... THE SEC is against who. Come on bro. When he breaks these records in 2 years, I think he is GREAT! Your post shows that you know nothing about CFB. E.B cant turn pro til after his junior year. Name anyone in the SEC that is better. And give stats to prove it... I will wait for your answer.
HtownVol writes:
Oh, it WILL happen. The other team fans whom are scared( why else would they be on this site every day?) they will not agree that the Vols will be a top team. But hey, if you really look at what is going on here and look at the success of all of our coaches you can see that we have something special growing in Knoxville. I cant wait til we are winning championships. It will happen in 3-4 years!
SignalMtnVol writes:
Actually, this kid's predicted to be the #1 RB in '10. Of course, with a high school kid, a lot can happen in a year. Nonetheless, it's not a bad start to get in on the ground floor with him.
SignalMtnVol writes:
Something that they talked about in the book "Meat Market" is that Orgeron, like David Cutcliffe, didn't mind being the first ones to offer from major schools because they felt so confident in their player evaluation abilities. Take it for what you want.
blitzshoot writes:
please check your email.
Boston_Vol writes:
Enough of this nonsense. Eric Berry is a man-child. Don't you forget it.
Docrok writes:
Lets see the first year he picked 6 Tebow and last year he sacked him. He LAID OUT Knowshon Moreno and picked Matthew Stafford, both early entries to the NFL, And he picked AL and returned a fumble for a touchdown against AL which was called back! And for the idiots that know nothing of College Football and the NCAAA's rules, A player must be 3 years removed from HS to enter the draft! And Berry is but 2 years removed. And rest assured this will be his last year
Docrok writes:
HEy dummy FL was in the interested schools list too! Learn to read!!!
murrayvol writes:
Man, are you old fashioned or what? :)
murrayvol writes:
I think you can come up with at least 20 GVX "contributors" who'd keep them up all night.
MrKnoxville writes:
I've been saying it since CLK was fired from Oakland and we lost the Florida game cuz I'm a SoCal Vol! People on here were ragging on me when I'd say hire Lane Kiffin and we'll be U.S.C. of the East Coast...now ya'll all know lol...and the rest of the S.E.C. will too soon!
rockytopspottedbirgdog writes:
any updates on Graves?
dlobh writes:
Yeah, I'm sure nobody will be interested in him. He's 6'1", 210 lbs., runs a 4.5 40, benches 370, squats 490, has a 3.2 GPA and has made a 20 on the ACT. And according to Rivals has interest from GA and the lizards:
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/...
You're right, call Urban, since you're so well connected, and tell him the lizards don't need him.
iwastherein98 writes:
Before you post things YOU need to actually read what you post. It says Georgia, Alabama and LSU are also interested but they have yet to offer. You should'nt be rude to people unless you are sure you are correct. In this case, you aren't.
GerryOP writes:
226 ... Fear The Kiffin!
Docrok writes:
Read the frickin article!!!
Docrok writes:
Johnson will likely have offers from more programs in the near future.
He said he’s received interest from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Miami, Georgia Tech and UCLA.
I did why dont you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dlobh writes:
First, you have no connection to Meyer. Second, if you think the lizards don't want him, fine. We'll take him. I guess the two guys that recruited all those USC players don't know what they're doing. We'll take our chances with Lane and Monte K and Eddie O evaluating players.
Docrok writes:
Hey why dont you check out the rest of the 2010 class rankings and see how many stars they have???????? None of em do!!!! But see me this time next year
Docrok writes:
He will be a minimum of a four star prospect since he is considered one of the top 250 prospects in the nation! Soooooo not a bad back! If you had any knowledge you would not have stuck your foot in your mouth! Have a nice day!
Docrok writes:
Yea obviously he is just talking himself up!! Maybe you should learn to use the rivals and scout sites appropriately and you would not stick your foot in your mouth
dmjohn2#576066 writes:
It looks like CLK and ED are all over the place recruiting kids for the 2010 class, just read on rivals about the offer they gave to DeMarco Cobbs, a 6-foot-2, 200 pound athlete from Tulsa, Oklahoma . He has nearly 10 offers already including four from the SEC.
montanavolfan writes:
He isn't elgible until next year. And now to borrow a line from Animal House the greatest comedy ever filmed, and my personal inspiration to go to college: "Ya Moron".
iwastherein98 writes:
Hey Gatorzz,
You normally have decently intelligent things to say on here. The vast majority of the 2010 class hasn't been rated yet. This kid is likely to be ranked in the top 3 RB's. He doesn't have one star, they put that there when someone has yet to be evaluated. Even before evaluation they have him in the Scouts, Inc Top 150. He's a top prospect, quit being a douchebomb.
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recrui...
Mommasboy writes:
You're comments are egregious and clearly show you know nothing about college football. He will be a lottery pick next year when he is 3 years removed from high school.
Docrok writes:
I think he went home to play with his legos
rockytop#413695 writes:
Uh...Mommasboy, while I agree with you totally, you should make sure you show your knowledge of the NFL. Lottery picks happen in the NBA. Should have said he'll be a top 10 pick or a first round pick. But you are right in trashing that DA post. Berry will only get better (if that's possible) under Monte.
Down_The_Field writes:
Z...you're hurting for attention i see.
okay, here we go again...i hate it when fans...who have never watched one inch of film (i know it's dvd now)....who've never driven to ___ town USA on a Friday night to watch a HS player play....who's only info on a player is some pin head's ranking of this # of stars or that # of stars criticises the player's ability before he walks on campus.
Z...do you think Jay Cutler is a good QB? I do and so does the Broncos. Do you know how many stars were behind his resume coming out of college? Let's just say the only D1 college that offered was the one he went to. Peebody (that's Vandy to you).
So go ahead, brainiac and shoot off at the mouth about how good YOU think this guy is, because the worthless, overpaid staff you talk about is not listening.
Oh, BTW, sorry about forgetting the Ohio State win. I stand corrected there.
UT37916 writes:
Next the Kiffins will be offering scholarships to middle school students a la Kentucky.
Docrok writes:
And obviously those middle schoolers will turn out to be NFL talent! Because this kid is projected to be one of the top 3 running backs next year
HtownVol writes:
You are right about EB cant come out til next year. But watch out talking trash when you call a football player a lottery pick. Thats the NBA.
HtownVol writes:
Gatorzzz, come on bro. You used to be reasonable. Now yoou are on here more than anyone arguing about junk. Did you go through a rough time lately. Your posts have become garbage. You keep saying today that this guy is no star or 1 star. check it out I dont think your gatorz are recruiting any 5 stars in 2010. No team is, b/c they dont get stars until they are going into their senior year.
Also, you talked a lot of trash about EB this morning. Can you give me a DB in CFB that has better stats than EB? Include Int's, tackles, Int return yards. Too bad we dont know how many highlight hits he had. Anyway, I am still waiting on you to give me a better player.
And will you quit correcting peoples spelling. I dont know about others, but I am at work and I try to post when others arent watching me sop I dont proof read my posts.
kman29 writes:
<<<Lane Kiffin is going to turn the Tenn.Vols into THE Southern Cal of the east>>>
LOL! here is the difference, schools like USC have the state of california all to themselves to recruit. In order for Kiffin to even get close to that point he will have to dip into Florida, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, California states that coaches already have a grip hold on.
<<<<Did you know its TRUE that CLK has said that with the Team of coaches he has assembled he is going to recruit like crazy get the top 1 or 2 classes in the country each year and make this the top school in the SEC and the country for that matter>>>>>
Better try just making a bowl game first. In the mean time programs such as Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama are notches above Tennessee. UT is a middle of the road SEC program at this point.
<<<<If you are a fan of another team boy I feel bad you don't cheer for the BIG ORANGE!>>>>
hmmm yeah Im going to have to pain it out watching the Gators go for a 3rd national title in 4 years next year, when I could be a fan of the Creamsicle nation and hope for the Music City Bowl.
<<<<Do you think you can run you beloved Spread while you are on Defense getting the ball crammed down your throat running the football by a powerhouse school running a pro-style offense>>>>
Oh you mean similar to the offense that Ohio State runs or tried to against Florida in 2006? Yeah that seems like a scary offense, almost gave up 100 total yards.
<<<If you get the ball back do you think you can use your Spread with Monte?>>>>
LOL! So now the great Monte is going to have the formula. First it was it couldnt be run against SEC schools. Then it was, it couldnt be run against defenses like LSU and Alabama would have...completed. Now the vaunted Monte Kiffin has shown up. I guess Meyer might as well pack his bags and scratch his entire offense huh?
<<<<<<"NOT EVERYONE DESERVES THERE CHAMPIONJSHIP RINGS" I see the truth and you can not argue with facts and truth.Can anyone else see this or am I the only one.>>>>>
He is right, not everyone deserves to play for championships. One thing that every freshman has to do is "earn" their right to be a Gator, it is not given. No player is bigger than the program and while Meyer may pass up on that 5 star player who is a me guy it equals out with a 3 star team player such as Brandon James or an unknown WR such as David Nelson lost in the depth chart only to be committed to the program and have it pay off with the winning score in the title game. Those players deserve championships, not selfish me players.
HtownVol writes:
yeah I said sop I dont proof read. I F up my spelling the time. Have fun correcting me!
HtownVol writes:
Did you know that UT went to the SEC champ in 07? We are not a middle of the road team. Wow, 1 bad year and you think we are so bad. The Gators went like 8-5 last year. They are not anything close to USC either. 2/3 aint bad, but you got a long way to go.
Moaninglikeheck writes:
Pass the kool-aide over here man! Must be some good stuff.
Moaninglikeheck writes:
Do you know ANYTHING about Scout or Rivals?
Until their senior year and they have been properly reviewed, most ALL position ratings are a 1 star pending further talent evaluation.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
We can only recruit back to 2010 prospects since Kiffin has only passed the 1st portion of the B Gillespie seminar.
Should be able to talk to 5th graders by fall.
TommyJack writes:
Agree with your post...except for the first sentence. Boycott the interlopers.
kman29 writes:
1 bad year? Try 2 losing seasons in 4 years.
2008- 7 losses
2007- 4 losses
2006- 4 losses
2005- 6 losses
Sorry but 21 losses in 4 seasons is a middle of the road SEC team.
And last year Florida went 9-4 not 8-5. And I will take 9-4 any year if its in between two 13-1 seasons with national titles. As for not being close to USC. Well last I checked Florida is the one with two BCS title trophies and gearing up for a run at a 3rd, while USC has their 1 trophy. So if thats still behind USC I'll take it.
volnknox writes:
what do you mean up and coming program- we have been here for years buddy!
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