4-Star WR Prospect Camron Johnson Commits to Vanderbilt Over Auburn, LSU
Vanderbilt added another promising playmaker for the future Friday when it received a commitment from in-state wide receiver Camron Johnson.
The wideout confirmed his decision with a post on social media:
Johnson is a 4-star prospect in the 2018 class, according to the Scout.com player rankings. He's rated as the No. 63 overall receiver among next year's incoming group and the top-ranked player at the position from the state of Tennessee.
The Brentwood Academy star would best be described as a gamer. He won't be the fastest player on the field at the collegiate level and doesn't possess ideal measurables (6'1'', 180 pounds), but he's still found a way to make big plays on a consistent basis.
He's also versatile. His frame would suggest he'll probably find a long-term home in the slot, where his small-area quickness will come in handy. But he's tough enough to play on the outside, winning physical battles in order to create separation.
Ultimately, a lot of prospects are recruited heavily based on raw athletic gifts and the possibility they could develop into a star. Johnson is the opposite. He's a rock-solid football player who's already almost polished enough to make an impact in college.
Chad Carson of 247Sports passed along a Hail Mary play by Brentwood during which Johnson showcased outstanding awareness to create the touchdown:
While he's made a name for himself on the football field, the receiver told Anthony R. Brown II of Sports Rants his college decision-making process was going to include far more than sports.
"I'll be looking for a variety of things: I want to know how they're doing academically and how their students do and how they're set up for life after football," Johnson said. "Of course the football aspect is a huge aspect to me as well. I want to see how their coaches react to their players, how their coaches coach the players and not talk to me because they're going to talk to me a completely different way than they're going to coach the other players. I want to see that relationship."
He probably won't end up being one of the most talked-about members of the Vandy recruiting class due to his lack of flash. That said, it's still a nice pickup for Derek Mason and his coaching staff to add depth to the 2018 group.
As mentioned, Johnson is pretty advanced in terms of understanding the game for a young player, which should help in his quest to see the field quickly. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him carve out at least a small niche by the end of his freshman campaign with the Commodores.
