(Photo via @Mandyjohnson131 on Twitter)
Overview
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 180-pounds
School/Hometown: Katy High School (Katy, TX) Class: 2021 Offers: Arizona, Arkansas State, Army, Colorado State, Houston, Houston Baptist, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, SMU, UNLV, Virginia Tech 2019 Stats: N/A (MaxPreps not updated) Career Stats: N/A (MaxPreps not updated) 247Sports Composite Ranking: 3-star (1,223rd nationally, 98th S, 190th in Texas) 247Sports Ranking: 3-star (108th S, 214th in Texas) Analysis
Gabe Encinas: To be honest I’m pretty surprised that Arizona was able to pull him away from Virginia Tech. It’s a big win for the staff and another great pick up in this class.
At first, Johnson looks a little undersized and I’m interested to see how he will officially measure. Although he appears to be an inch or two shorter than “ideal” he has a solid build at 180 pounds on his frame. But regardless of size, Johnson has elite closing speed and explosiveness. He’s a downhill safety that can cover the flats and fit in run support. He flows to the ball and gets an angle on the ball carrier to bring them down. He shows great tackling abilities and delivers a good hit when he’s wrapping up. Of the seven commitments so far I think Johnson has the most NFL potential. Being ranked outside the top 1,200 has him pretty grossly underrated, and I’d put him inside the top 750 range. To me, he’s Arizona’s highest ranked prospect just ahead of JT Hand. Brandon Combs: Johnson is a really nice pickup for Arizona, and the type of safety the defense needs. He is a tough, hard-nosed player. He likes contact and has excellent form when making tackles. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see much, if any, arm tackles while watching his highlights. Shortly after his announcement, Gabe and I talked about how he is already playing with college-level speed. He has impressive closing speed and he plays with a lot of energy. You can tell that the game has slowed down for him. I’m intrigued to see what adjustment period, if any, he needs once he gets to Arizona. Overall, Johnson has great footwork and decently fluid hips as well. I didn’t see too many issues with eye discipline, even when in coverage. He dissects plays rapidly and flies to the ball carrier with that speed that was mentioned above. That speed also allows him to go toe-to-toe with receivers in coverage. It’s interesting that he is ranked as low as he is. I believe this is due in large part to the perception that he is undersized. Don’t tell him that, as he doesn’t play that way. Junior Highlights
0 Comments
(Photo via Hudl)
The Arizona Wildcats ares slowly, but surely, gaining momentum on the recruiting trail. The 'Cats are now up to four commitments for 2021 and are continuing to make good progress with prospects all around the country.
One such prospect is Steilacoom (WA) High School linebacker D.J. Fryar. Paul Rhoads is leading the charge for Fryar and has caught the attention of the 6-foot-3, 210 pound backer. I caught up with the versatile playmaker to discuss his recruitment, Arizona, his senior season, and more. Read on below.
Brandon Combs: How many offers do you have so far?
D.J. Fryar: "I'm sitting at six as of right now." (Air Force, Arizona, Army, Boise State, Nevada, Washington State) Brandon: Out of those six, which schools are standing out to you? What makes them stand out over the others? Fryar: "Definitely Arizona, Army, and Boise State. What makes them stand out is the communication and the dedication and drive to get me there." Brandon: Have you taken any visits yet? Once the travel restrictions are lifted, where are you looking to visit? Fryar: "I've taken two vists, Oregon and Oregon State. Once I'm able to travel, I'm looking to visit Boise State, Wazzu (Washington State), Arizona, possibly Air Force, and possibly Army. I probably going to take a trip to Nevada. I might go back down to Oregon and Oregon State. I also might head to Wyoming." Brandon: While on your visits, and your visits in the future, what are you looking for? Fryar: "I'm mainly looking for the environment around the football program, how they get along as a team." Brandon: Regarding Arizona, how long have they been recruiting you for? Who is your lead recruiter on the staff? Fryar: "I'd say about a month now. Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads." Brandon: How is your relationship with Paul Rhoads? Fryar: "It's pretty good. We are building a nice and strong relationship right now. So it's going pretty good." Brandon: What does Coach Rhoads like about your game and what you could bring to Tucson if you chose Arizona? Fryar: "He's told me that he likes my size and the size I could add. He likes my tenacity, work ethic, and how I play." Brandon: Arizona is started to recruit the PNW heavier than usual. They added Jalen John from Oregon last cycle and are recruiting QB Clay Millen hard. As a player from Washington and the PNW, what are your thoughts on Arizona attempting to establish themselves in the Northwest? Fryar: "It's good because up here we don't get a lot of looks. It's harder for a lot of people to see us. It's good to know we are getting looks and our work ethic is is paying off." Brandon: I know you have a lot of versatility, especially with your size. What position is Arizona recruiting you at? Fryar: "They are looking at me as an inside linebacker." Brandon: Do you have a time frame for when you'd like to commit? When it comes time to make a decision, what are you looking for in a school? Fryar: "At the latest, I'd probably say, October. The earliest would probably be August. I'm mainly looking for the friendship and relationship with the coaches. I also want to go to a top and really good business program." Brandon: Speaking of majors, anything in particular in business that you are looking at? Fryar: "I'm mainly looking at marketing and entrepreneurship." Brandon: Moving to your upcoming senior season. You just made the move to transfer to Steilacoom High School. What are your thoughts on making that move from your hometown to down the road? Fryar: "It's good. The transition really wasn't that hard, it was pretty smooth. I felt welcome once I got there. It was a pretty easy move." Brandon: How do you feel about your team's upcoming season? Fryar: "I feel great. We are going to make another long run, most likely back to the state championship. Just got the keep our heads straight, and as long as we don't lose focus, we'll be good." Film Study
Fryar has a lot of the talent that you want in a linebacker. His size and frame jump out at you while watching his film. He has a excellent frame for a linebacker and one that will allow him to gain muscle with ease.
I love his versatility as well. The theme so far for how Arizona is recruiting the defensive side of the ball, and the three commitments they have on defense, is versatility. Fryar predominately lined up as the middle backer for the Sentinels, however, he played safety and running back as well. This experience at safety makes him effective in pass coverage from the linebacker spot. Fryar plays fast and aggressive. He has the ability to read, dissect, and react to plays quickly. He has a quick first step and has impressive burst as well as speed. Fryar is a solid playmaker who has a high ceiling. He has the talent and skillset the coaches are looking for and would provide immediate help at a position of need. As mentioned above, Arizona is in a good spot with Fryar and should be as his recruitment moves forward. His relationship with Rhoads and the other coaches will be important, but so will Arizona's business program. 2019 Stats
Defense: 87 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INT, 1 PBU, 1 fumble recovery
Junior Highlights |