Our Honor Defend

In the 15th installment¹ of our 20 part Better Know A Buckeye series, I continue with the theme of the true prospects/diamonds in the rough of whom very little has been written. Specifically, I draw attention to the lone signing day prize in Orhian Johnson, an athlete and Flava Flav doppelganger² from Gulfport, Florida. On National LOI Day, Orhian Johnson eschewed numerous offers to become a dual-threat quarterback in college for some quality programs (Kansas, USF in particular) in order to become (most likely) a safety for the Buckeyes. In the sections that follow, I take a look at his recruitment, starting from his first offer from Florida International to his signing day commitment to the Buckeyes. Afterwards, I discuss what Orhian Johnson brings to the Buckeyes and where he fits in Ohio State’s plans.

Height: 6′3-6′4
Weight: 190lbs
Forty: 4.57
Vertical: 40″
GPA: 3.4

His Recruitment: Orhian Johnson’s recruitment is arguably a little more stale than some of the other fanciful stories covered elsewhere. There was no offer that shook up everything like there was with Zach Domicone, Shaq Rowell, Travis Howard, Nathan Williams and Jermil Martin. Further, there’s none of the intrigue like there was for Keith Wells, Nic DiLillo and Etienne Sabino. Variability makes for the most interesting stories, but you’ll find little of it here. Indeed, Johnson’s recruitment is a story of constants. From the beginning and through January, Orhian Johnson reiterated several points: He would commit to the university that felt like a home away from home and he would take until National LOI Day in order to make that decision. Geography didn’t matter and, ultimately, playing QB didn’t matter. Quarterback was his first option, since he likes having the ball in his hands with the game on the line. However, he said early and often that he would defer to the coaching staff because they are the experts in the field. On his end, he just wanted a quality degree, a home away from home, and — for football — to just play. Further, all the schools that were major players down the stretch for Johnson — Ohio State, Indiana Kansas, USF and Tennessee³ — all offered rather early with the exception of Tennessee⁴. Indeed, most of the schools that offered Orhian did so after watching his high school spring game. Rather than outline the process, I choose to discuss what he liked in each of these schools before ultimately making the decision on signing day.

Tennessee was, if my reading is correct, the last school of note to offer Orhian Johnson, extending an offer sometime near the end of October. Whereas every other school who offered Orhian wanted him to be a dual-threat QB, Tennessee (and Ohio State) told him they wanted him as an athlete who was most likely to end up in the secondary. Johnson’s interest in Tennessee stemmed from the fact that it was the best SEC school to offer him⁵. Tennessee offered him right as they were in the chase for an SEC title, a fact not lost on Orhian. Orhian admitted to being intrigued in playing in the SEC, recognizing the caliber of talent in the conference and, more specifically, recognizing the great players on Tennessee’s team. Johnson also made a summer visit to Knoxville to check things out and generally liked what he saw. However, I think if Tennessee tried to be the one offer that changed everything in Orhian’s mindset, they failed pretty badly. Florida, if anything, was the SEC offer he coveted the most, but ultimately did not get. In other words, Tennessee never appeared to be a likely destination for him. Further, as signing day neared, Johnson found himself unable to squeeze in an official visit to Knoxville. Johnson talked less and less about Tennessee in January, ultimately making them a non-issue in his decision.

Kansas offered sometime in July and wanted him to be a quarterback for them. Johnson’s thoughts on Kansas were, for the most part, equivalent to his thoughts on Indiana and USF. They were a team on a pretty good roll. Further, they were turning their program around and who ran a spread offense that he felt would serve him well. In Johnson’s view, Kansas’ best days might well be ahead of them. This feeling intensified as the season moved forward. Kansas’ run through most of the Big 12 impressed Johnson. Kansas was almost playing for a national title, which naturally impressed Orhian. Further, the philosophy of the Jayhawks just playing their best players⁶ impressed Orhian because — whether he becomes a QB, a receiver or a defensive back — he just wants to play football. Why Kansas ultimately didn’t make the final decision day cut is ultimately left to my inference. I think, with the way Orhian purposely eschewed serious attention to recruitment until after his football season, he found it difficult to squeeze in an official visit to Lawrence. Johnson had family in Ohio, a barrage of attention from Indiana and proximity to USF ultimately playing a factor in him visiting those places. Lawrence is probably a more difficult place for travel. It is just my inference, but I think Kansas ran out of time for Orhian’s services.

South Florida was one of the three finalists for Orhian, and understandably so. The Bulls were one of the first offers Johnson got and assured him he was one of the top QBs on their board. As he noted about Kansas and Indiana, USF was a program on the rise, whose spectacular start to the 2007 season had definitely caught his eye. Johnson reiterated that he didn’t grow up favoring one program or the other, but was always aware of USF and what they’ve been able to accomplish in their program’s 10 year history. Further, he was aware that they were able to do this largely with local players, such as his HS teammate and 2007 commit Josh Bellamy. As the season progressed, USF’s fortunes went south. However, Jim Leavitt’s continued confidence in Matt Grothe was not lost on Orhian. Given its proximity to his home in Gulfport, Johnson made several trips to USF’s campus. Further, it was easier for Orhian to take an official visit, which he did on the weekend of January 19-20 (his last official). Though the hosts on the visit couldn’t show him something around campus that he hasn’t already seen, he liked the visit and liked the players he met.

Indiana unarguably recruited Orhian the most as he may very well have been priority one on their list. IU’s interest in Orhian started in earnest in Orhian’s junior year, when IU assistant Billy Lynch was sent to Gulfport to scout his HS teammate Josh Bellamy, but came away impressed with Orhian. After watching the high school’s spring game, IU followed through with an offer. Orhian offered the same words about Indiana that he did for Kansas and USF: They were an upcoming program whose offensive style he liked. They were offering him the chance to play QB and likening him to another Florida prepstar QB Kellen Lewis, which was music to Orhian’s ears since QB was his preference. Indiana knew they were competing against Ohio State and Tennessee (among others, of course) for his services, so they drove one single point home to Orhian repeatedly: “don’t let them take the ball out of your hands”. Orhian, touched by how Billy Lynch came through with an offer a year after promising that he would, and honored by the attention he got, scheduled an official visit to Bloomington for the weekend of December 8-9. During the visit, Orhian got a chance to watch the Hoosiers basketball team play Western Kentucky. His remarks about the experience were overwhelmingly positive, giving specific attention to the fan support in Bloomington and the campus. Orhian knew he had a rapport with IU’s staff, but just needed to see everything to believe it. The visit convinced him that IU would be one of the final schools for consideration.

Ohio State offered soon after Taver Johnson witnessed Johnson’s spring game at Boca Ciega HS. Orhian fancied Ohio State almost immediately after they offered, though he was reticent to name them a favorite or give a top 5 or top 10. Unlike almost every other school, Ohio State tended their offer on the premise of bringing him in as an athlete, who will most likely land a spot as a safety. Nevertheless, Johnson was intrigued by the offer because he was aware of the program’s tradition, ranging from their rivalries to their history to the atmosphere surrounding the football team. Further, though Orhian had a preference to play quarterback, he appreciated how honest the coaches were with him about what they wanted from him. Indeed, through most of his recruiting updates, either Johnson or the analyst providing the update, implicitly put Ohio State as the leader. Either Ohio State was the first school mentioned by Orhian or the person penning the article (even for a non-BSB writer) mentioned Ohio State first (for example). Even more remarkable is that Orhian, who downplayed his recruitment during his football season in order to commit himself to his HS team, managed to make an unofficial visit to Ohio State in the fall. He planned a visit for the Akron game, though that visit was postponed. He eventually took an unofficial visit up to Columbus for the Michigan State game, where he was impressed with a variety of things. Specifically, Johnson was awestruck by the size of Ohio Stadium and the history encapsulated in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Orhian eventually found time to take an official visit during the weekend of January 11-13. He enjoyed the visit, giving detail to the family atmosphere around the program and how cool his host (Nate Oliver) was.

With just days left before signing day, Orhian whittled down the list of schools he would be deciding from to the three schools that hosted him on official visits. The National LOI Day decision would be between the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers and the hometown Bulls, with no favourites to note. As I noted in a signing day open thread, I had no idea about Orhian. Chiefly, I was more preoccupied with Keith Wells recruitment around the same time to do any real research on Orhian. I knew we had the “program prestige” pitch working in our favour, if we wanted to express recruitment in EA Sports terminology. This is precisely what drew his interest as well: Ohio State clearly (I think) drew his initial interest on reputation alone (compare that against Kansas, Indiana, UConn, FIU et al). What I did not know was how badly he wanted to play QB and how much distance would be a factor. He said early and often that QB was his first preference, but not a make-or-break deal by any means. Further, he said early and often that “football is just football”, and distance would play no factor. What I thought at the time (admittedly with no research on the matter) was that the QB thing might very well be the deciding factor and that Indiana’s full court press on him would be the difference. I was reticent to say so at the time, but if forced to guess where Orhian would wind up on signing day, I would have said Indiana.

Nevertheless, Orhian said before it would be a signing day decision, and with time running out, it came down to a February 6 press conference.

His Commitment: Much to my pleasant surprise, Orhian did choose the Buckeyes, becoming the lone signing day prize for Ohio State’s staff. Bucknuts broke the news when Orhian’s HS coach informed them that he was almost certain that Orhian was Buckeye-bound.

Orhian expressed in an on-the-spot interview embedded below that the difference at Ohio State was indeed the family atmosphere he was looking for all along. While on his visit, he received text messages from committed players chatting him up about the Buckeyes. Specifically, the already committed 08 players texted him about joining the family and winning Big Ten titles and national championships. The players in question — Brewster (of course), Stoneburner (of course), Posey (of course), Domicone (neat, I had no idea he was recruiting players), Sabino (neat, didn’t see that name coming) and Howard (neat, I didn’t know he was that active in the process) — appeared to be the deciding factor in giving Orhian that feeling that Ohio State would be a home away from home.

Where He Excels: Orhian Johnson is a true player in that sense of the word. His potential and athleticism are outstanding. Curiously enough, while most projections have him ending up in the secondary, as the recruitment process went forward, the Buckeyes were also pitching the opportunity to get a look at wideout. It wouldn’t be the first time that a defensive back recruit has ended up as a receiver. Remember: Ted Ginn Jr was supposed to be Deion Sanders for a new generation of football fans and Gonzo was brought in as a safety. Darrell Hazell could just as easily step in and say “no, this guy is a wide receiver” and that would be that. For what it’s worth, though, Johnson is preparing for the transition to defense.

However, his potential as a safety intrigues me. Ohio State basically brought in a recruit with the measurables of a shooting guard to (hopefully) roam centerfield on defense. If I were some opposing QB, I’d think twice about lobbing a jump ball for a wide receiver knowing that a 6′3 safety with a 4.57 forty and 40 inch vertical is in the vicinity. I know I’m as guilty as the next guy for obsessing about Mike Adams, but I’m serious in saying that most Buckeyes should follow Zach Domicone and Orhian Johnson’s recruitments as their developments might be the most important to the next 4 years of Ohio State football⁷. As I noted in Domicone’s BKAB feature, the staff highlighted the secondary as an area for significant improvement in future recruiting classes and brought in two very intriguing prospects in Domicone and Johnson. Two 6′3 safeties with (in Domicone’s case) incredible hitting power and tenacity and (in Johnson’s case) incredible leaping ability should be quite an anomaly in college football.

Must Work On: Johnson is all potential at the moment, and since he really hasn’t played in the secondary for the past two years, he will need to make the transition to doing that full time. As noted earlier, this is what Johnson is bracing for and fully anticipating. From the looks of his measurables, he could probably use a little help in the speed department and overall strength. Then again, so does basically everyone who enters their first year of college football. I’m sure Lichter will find a way to increase his killing power accordingly.

Redshirt? If my understanding is correct, Tressel provides the players with all the information they would need in order to decide whether or not to redshirt. Ultimately, it’s the player’s decision and, notwithstanding a crowded depth chart at the position, I don’t see Orhian redshirting though it would be to his benefit to do so. Orhian just wants to play and will play wherever it is he is needed so long as he can see the field quickly. As such, I expect him to see some special teams duty.

Highlights: This is from Bucknuts’ exclusive with Scouting Ohio and SunshinePreps, but someone put it on YouTube. I embed it below. There’s very little of him playing in the secondary, but you can see why Kansas and Indiana wanted him as a QB.

Miscellany:

• Also a standout basketball player, averaging 10pts and 10rebs a game for his HS team.
• Was the team’s defensive MVP as a sophomore playing safety. Like many HS teams, he became the team’s quarterback because he was the best player they had and wanted the ball in his hands. He did play some safety as a senior, but was ultimately the team’s fulltime QB.
• Passed for 1200 yards and 15 TDs in his senior year. The Boca Ciega Pirates went 8-3 and exited the playoffs in the first round.
• His HS — Boca Ciega HS — was partly the inspiration for the film Porky’s (1981). The fictional high school in the film was a composite of both Boca Ciega HS and another HS in Fort Lauderdale. The events in the movie were actual events at both of these high schools. Now if that doesn’t call for the “The More You Know” graphic, I don’t know what does.
• Will room with Keith Wells, Jake Stoneburner and Michael Brewster. From what other rooming arrangements I’ve read, this came off as the coolest pairing for Morrill Towers (that’s where the freshman football players end up, right? Is it Morrill or Lincoln?).
• Has family in Ohio and his cousin is Andrew Phelan, a Miami of Ohio signee in the 2008 class. Orhian has family actually living in the Columbus area, which was the impetus behind the unofficial visit. I didn’t feel it important to incorporate this into the recruitment part of this feature because I’m comfortable it played no part in him ultimately ending up at Ohio State.
• Moves in Saturday, June 14. Yep, it’s that fast approaching, people.

It’s actually a good thing I did this, if only for my own knowledge since Orhian is the recruit in the 2008 class that I know the least about. That said, Orhian Johnson, consider yourself better known, boyeee. I hope he’s not going to be upset that some Buckeye football fans are going to be lovingly likening him to Flava Flav for the next few years.

1. damn, I’ve written 15 of these? [↩]
2. Yeeeah, boyeeee! [↩]
3. Just as a matter of note: Johnson got his first offer from FIU in early April. WKU offered in May and UConn offered in July. Ole Miss and Pitt also offered. However, I choose to omit them from the discussion here. [↩]
4. if Tennessee tried to be the late offer that changed everything, they failed… and failed miserably. [↩]
5. if you want to make the argument that Ole Miss was his best offer, be my guest. [↩]
6. as evidenced by moving that Meier guy to WR and starting that other dude (Todd something) at QB. What, don’t look at me as an expert on Jayhawks football. I could just as easily look up these guys names, but I won’t. [↩]
7. naturally, the way our offensive line was abused in the past two, well… you know…, shows that the development of Brewster-Adams-Shugart might be the most important. Further, I would say the same thing about the interior of our defensive line (Mobley, Goebel and especially Rowell). The qualifier here for all of these is “might”. [↩]