Four-Star RB Donovan Johnson names Top 5

Four-star running back Donovan Johnson of Savannah (GA) IMG Academy narrowed his list to 5 schools Sunday afternoon. 

The 6-foot-1, 215 pounder is down to the following: Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, and USC.

Breaking down the finalists

Johnson discussed what stood out about each school 

Georgia Bulldogs: Growing up in Georgia, I have always been surrounded by friends, family, and fans of UGA. Not only do they produce great running backs, but also have a great culture.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Ever since my first visit and workout with Coach Tony Alford at Ohio State our connection has grown. I love what they’re doing this year and have continued to do for the last decade. 

Tennessee Volunteers: Tennessee is a special place. I talk to Coach Mac and Coach Hepuel all the time and so far I have seen nothing but great things. 

Florida State Seminoles: Growing up watching Dalvin Cook was always special, I love the culture there and the FSU staff has always treated me like family.

USC Trojans: Talking to Coach Riley and Coach McDonald they broke down a lot of favors to me, USC has always been special. 

Donovan Johnson Recruiting Profile

Johnson ranks as the No. 90 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 6 running back and the No. 15 player in the state of Florida.

Scouting Summary

On3’s Scouting and Rankings team writes this about him as a prospect:

“Physically-gifted running back with an elite size-speed combination. Measured at over 6-feet and around 200 pounds prior to his junior season. Registers as an elite athlete in the combine setting. Has a track background dating back to early high school, running in AAU national events. Began his career at Calvary Day in Savannah, Georgia prior to transferring to IMG Academy before his junior season. Has shown glimpses of his high-end athleticism on the field. A twitchy, explosive mover with tangible burst. Has the speed to pull away once in open space. Has the strength and size to break arm tackles. Shrugs off defenders. Has not played much meaningful football since transferring to IMG, adding ambiguity to his evaluation. Saw limited carries as a sophomore and has yet to play midway through his junior season. Will need to get back on the field to continue developing and add clarity to his evaluation.”

He currently does not have an On3 NIL Valuation publicly listed. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.