4-Star Netori Johnson Talks Recruitment, Details Story Behind Colorful Hairstyle

BUFORD, Ga. — In a field littered with talented prospects at the Atlanta Nike Opening Regional, there was one player who was impossible to go unnoticed: 4-star offensive lineman Netori Johnson.

Among the many reasons he stands out is his bright and unmistakable hairdo, which was mostly purple with a hint of turquoise. 

The 6’5”, 330-pounder shed some light on his eclectic choice of hairstyles, which he notes is just an extension of his fun-loving personality.

“I went to military school early because my granddad was really firm on discipline. In the sixth grade, we had to keep a low cut,” Johnson told Bleacher Report. “I always did the bleached hair thing, though. I was blonde at first.

"Around seventh grade, I left that school and went back to public school at Cedar Grove middle school. Then, I put red in my hair. When I put red in my hair, everyone liked it. Then, I started trying different colors and ever since then, I’ve been switching it up and adding multiple colors. So that’s a part of me now. I just like to have fun with it.”

Johnson’s play also has something to do with why many spectators on hand at Buford High School for the event were glued on him. 

The nation’s No. 4 offensive guard prospect and the No. 121 prospect overall in the 2017 cycle recently backed off an early pledge to Alabama last summer, but the Crimson Tide are still in the mix. 

He recently dropped a top-10 list that included Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Ole Miss.

Of that group, he noted three of them are coming after him the hardest—including the program he was once committed to. 

“Alabama is coming at me the hardest,” Johnson said. “They have picked it up since I decommitted. Coach Herb Hand at Auburn and Coach Sam Pittman at Georgia, they are also on me hard. Those three schools are almost equal for real.” 

The in-state Bulldogs are also making a push for him, and he admits the thought of staying close to his home in Ellenwood, Georgia, has crossed his mind. 

“Georgia is in that top 10 that I released recently. I don’t have an order for any schools, because I want to show all schools equal love,” Johnson explained. “Georgia is in there, and they are up there. I can say this much. Georgia has a shot to get me—especially with them having my boy [prep teammate and 3-star offensive lineman] Justin Shaffer already committed. I like it up there.” 

He has recently visited Alabama, Auburn and Georgia in the last few months. However, two programs from outside the southeast region are pushing for him to check out their respective campuses.

“I want to get to Baylor and Michigan. I want to see both of those schools and what they are about,” Johnson said. “We have a kid on my high school team [2016 3-star linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse] that signed with Michigan. I want to get up there and bond with him a little bit and see what it’s about.”

While he plans to make a final decision on or close to national signing day, he will be looking to a few key factors that will help him find the program that fits him best. 

“I’ll be looking at the facilities, the academics, the coaching staff, the players already on campus and how far it is away from home.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani