Brad Johnson to South Carolina: Gamecocks Land 4-Star LB Prospect

Inside linebacker Brad Johnson made his college decision Wednesday, as he committed to play for South Carolina. 

Matt Connolly of The State shared word of Johnson's commitment.

According to Scout.com, Johnson is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 14 overall inside linebacker and the No. 1 player at his position in the state of South Carolina.

Johnson primarily played defensive end at Pendleton High School, registering 198 tackles, 32 sacks and 28 tackles for loss during his career, according to Lake Morris of the Independent Mail.

The 6'3", 210-pound prospect has a skill set that figures to translate well to the linebacker position, however, and he has been recruited as such.

Per Scout.com, several big-time programs showed interest in Johnson, with South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech standing out from the rest of the pack.

Johnson's versatility was undoubtedly a big part of that, as he proved capable of moving around the field on defense and even excelled at running back when called upon.

According to Morris, Pendleton head coach Paul Sutherland raved about Johnson's ability to do essentially anything asked of him: "You can go back and watch his film, and there are times where he completely blows up plays. I'm talking about against an option, he will take the fullback, then run down the quarterback and drag down the pitchman. That is what he brings to the table."

Johnson's commitment will give the Gamecocks options on defense once he works his way into the rotation since he is seemingly equally adept at rushing the passer and playing the run.

The ability to mix things up and play a hybrid defense is a huge advantage in terms of confusing opposing offenses, and Johnson is well-versed in doing precisely that.

Satellite players are all the rage in college football, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson lined up as an inside linebacker, a stand-up outside pass-rusher or even a defensive end with his hand on the ground on any given play.

Johnson is a veritable Swiss army knife on the field, and his presence will provide a huge boost to South Carolina's defense in 2017 and beyond.

Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp is a defense-first guy, and Johnson is the type of player he excels at utilizing.

Keeping Johnson in-state is also huge for Muschamp and the entire program, as it is a signal that the Gamecocks can compete with some of the SEC's elite on the recruiting trail.

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