*** This weekend gave me my third in-game look at Rivals300 Michigan wide receiver commit Travis Johnson — first since September. Just like the last time I saw him, Johnson had a dominant game and was a mismatch nightmare on the outside. Johnson recorded five receptions for 143 yards and touchdowns en route to leading Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith to a 56-7 blowout win over Chesapeake (Va.) Western Branch in a game that supposed to be much closer. Johnson has been electric as a senior in the highest classification in the state of Virginia.
*** What can Johnson do to vault himself into the Top 100? That’s the question everybody seemed to ask going into the season. There is no doubt that Johnson is an an elite athlete and a polished receiver, but the biggest thing that was missing was verified times. Johnson is a star basketball player for Oscar Smith and focused on that this winter/spring as opposed to running track. I’m not exactly sure how fast Johnson is, but he stretches the field every time I see him. Johnson scored on two 40-yard-plus deep posts, where he ran by the corner and got the defense with ease. Johnson is definitely fast enough, especially when you consider the fact that he’s a bigger-bodied wide out at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds.
*** Johnson gave up football before picking it back up as a freshman — he thought he was going to go to college for basketball. That athleticism pops on Friday nights. Johnson has excellent body control, bends well in and out of breaks and has superb leaping ability. Johnson still has plenty of upside, but he’s much further along as an actual route runner than you would think for a guy who took a break and has never played football year round. To my knowledge, Johnson hasn’t received individual training either. Johnson is the rare high floor, high ceiling recruit who should make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor. I expect him to play significantly next season…