November 9, 2005
Micah Johnson A Future Darrell Campbell?
by JASON SAPP
Micah Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound LB/DE prospect from Fort Campbell (Ky.) High School, has recently been in touch with the Notre Dame coaching staff more than ever within the last two weeks. This Army All-American selection has put up some impressive figures on defense this year, with 89 tackles during a 10-0 regular season. He's also racked up 15 touchdowns on over 1,000 yards as a running back.
Before Vicky Johnson, Micah's mother, stepped out of the house to watch her son's team trample their first-round playoff opponent, 58-0, she was able to provide some information on Micah's list of choices.
"Micah has a list of five schools," she reported. "The University of Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, VA Tech, and Notre Dame. He doesn't have any leading schools at this point and wants to focus on the rest of his high school season. He will be making a decision after the playoffs and when he has taken at least four (official) visits."
Micah's only official visit thus far has been to the University of Georgia, so it seems he could have at least three more lined up before an announcement is made. Johnson's Fort Campbell teammate, current Irish safety commit Leonard Gordon, reported to BGI's Ryan O'Leary that he will be present this weekend for the Navy game, along with Micah for unofficial visits.
That may have been the initial plan, but Fort Campbell's head coach, Shawn Berner, stated that Micah will not be taking his official visit to ND until December when the team's playoff run is over.
Many have said that Micah was at a point where the Irish was pulled from his list, but with the recent effort of the team and success under the coaching of Charlie Weis, the interest level has been rejuvenated.
"Micah has always talked about Notre Dame," Vicky Johnson said. "He talks to the coaching staff at least once a week."
His mother's impression of his recruiting experience is a little different than his own, says Micah, and he refutes her statement that leading schools have not been chosen.
"Notre Dame slipped off for a bit but caught back up because of Coach Weis," Micah stated during a recent interview. "Notre Dame has the best coaching staff in the country. My two leading schools are Georgia and Kentucky. I've visited Kentucky a few times and my brother, Christian, plays there now. That plays the biggest role for me with Kentucky."
This prospect has quite the frame and the athleticism of a player half his size. Considering his physique, his body has the potential to add about 40 pounds of "good" weight to that stature. Reminds me of a player that was recruited by the Irish in 1999 at linebacker by the name of Darrell Campbell. That Chicago-area native found himself growing about 60 pounds throughout his career and left as a successful defensive tackle.
In my opinion, if the Irish land their top two targets at linebacker, Toryan Smith and Morrice Richardson, expect this Irish hopeful to be "putting his hand on the ground" as a defensive lineman within the first year or two after bulking up with the assistance of strength and conditioning coach Ruben Mendoza.
