Last week, 2018 Syracuse target Justin Johnson called in to Fizz Radio to talk to the Fizz’s Nathan Dickinson and Logan Grossman. Johnson received a scholarship offer from Syracuse on Halloween, and talked to Nathan and Logan about Syracuse and his recruitment.
Orange Fizz: How’d you get so big? (Johnson is 6-7, 335 pounds)
Justin Johnson: I don’t even know.¬† I think it’s my grandfather’ he’s about 6-4. My parents are shorter than me. Everyone’s shorter than me, I’m the tallest in my family. It’s probably the food that I eat.
OF: What’s your relationship with Syracuse right now?
JJ: My relationship with Syracuse is neutral. I’ve been speaking with Coach [Mike] Lynch for about two or three weeks. Coach Lynch and I have just been building that relationship … That’s the only person I’ve been talking to from Syracuse.
OF: You need to be fast to be a part of this offense. What makes you think you can keep up?
JJ: I would say my length and the footwork that I’ve gotten over the last year. I’ve only been playing football for one year, so my coach has made me a phenomenal run blocker, making sure my footwork is good and making sure I get to the second level and if you have a chance to get to the third level, make sure you open up those seams for the running back. In pass protection, make sure I hold my ground and keep the pocket where it needs to be for my quarterback to let go of the ball. For me, to fit into the Syracuse offense I have to keep my footwork together and be powerful off the ball every play.
OF: As a newer football player, how much will your ability to develop factor into your decision?
JJ: When I go to look at different universities and different programs it is a major factor… There’s some coaches who just want great football IQs, and then some want the players with the attributes to be a phenomenal football player, so that’s one major thing that will factor into my decision.
OF: How seriously are you thinking about your recruitment right now?
I take it seriously, but I’m not stressing myself at the moment because I’m a junior. My decision time isn’t until midway through my senior season. That’s not something I should overwhelm myself with right now, but I do take into serious consideration all the universities that offered me. I look into the academics every single day of each university and see how their programs do; see the statistics of each university. I just keep looking into more information, so when I do go to the university I can already have an idea in my head about the academic stuff.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
