3-Star OL Fred Johnson Commits to Louisville

Scratch an offensive lineman off Kentucky’s big board. Following an official visit to the University of Louisville, Fred Johnson pledged his allegiance to the Cardinals.

Fred Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman from Cleveland. A three-star prospect, he’s the No. 64 offensive tackle in America according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

Prior to making his decision, Fred Johnson officially visited Kentucky with his Glenville teammate, four-star tight end Damarion Witten. The Wildcats are in a two-horse battle with Ohio State for the latter’s services.

Roush’s Read on Johnson’s Louisville Commitment

Adam Luckett’s offensive tackle big board is getting lighter and lighter. Prior to Johnson’s commitment to Louisville, Jack Hines committed to Wake Forest, Jordan Floyd picked Georgia Tech, Kai Greer chose Stanford, Kevin Heywood rolled with Wisconsin and Miami looks like they’re about to flip Deryc Plazz from Penn State.

Despite the losses, none of those players appear to be at a top priority for Kentucky.

Two big fish were in town for official visits in consecutive weekends, Jonathan Daniels and Jac’Qawn “Shaq” McRoy. Securing one commitment for either blue chip offensive tackle is imperative.

The Wildcats are looking to land two true tackles in the 2024 recruiting class. Even though Fred Johnson was ranked as a tackle, Kentucky hesitated to put on the full-court press because many inside the facility believed he’ll ultimately be a guard at the next level. UK already has two guards committed, and could be on the verge of adding a third in Jadon Lafontant.

Finding future starters at offensive tackle from the high school ranks is a challenge. Kentucky is currently being selective. Eventually they need to reel in one big fish. Relying exclusively on the transfer portal to find offensive tackles is a dangerous game to play, just ask Will Levis.