One week and one day ago, the University of Virginia scored a commitment from state of North Carolina 3-star linebacker LaChaston Smith. Mike London has struck again in the Tar Heel state, this time addressing the offense with a commitment from A.L. Brown (Kannapolis, N.C.) rising senior wide receiver Keeon Johnson .
Johnson, who is rated a 3-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com, chose Virginia over North Carolina and Notre Dame. He also held offers from Duke, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State and Wake Forest.
“My relationship with the coaches and players was great. That’s what stood out,” Johnson said when asked what separated UVa from UNC and Notre Dame. “I mean, I had good relationships with other coaches too, but Virginia stood out there.”
Johnson will sign a letter of intent with the Hoos in February. He plans to enroll at UVa next summer.
“Now I can relax a little bit,” Johnson said of making his college decision.
Coach London and company made a big impression, but a tip of the cap also goes to UVa rising sophomore running back Kevin Parks , who starred at West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, North Carolina.
“I talked to KP about Virginia. I talked to him a couple of times. He said it’s a good place,” Johnson said.
Johnson attended a Virginia junior day back in February, and last weekend he was back in Charlottesville to further explore the school and the football program. Did he know then that UVa was the pick?
“I had a feeling, but I didn’t want to jump in anything. Maybe about two days ago, I realized it was the place for me,” said Johnson, who narrowed the field to three this week before committing today.
An excellent athlete, Johnson showed well at the Nike Combine in Charlotte this past March. There, he posted a 4.56-second shuttle, a 34.4-inch vertical leap, and an electronically-timed 4.73-second 40. As a junior last season, he hauled in 38 catches for 770 yards and nine touchdowns.
The standout athlete is Virginia’s 11th commitment from the class of 2013. Virginia continues to stockpile talent at the wide receiver position, as Johnson joins 5’11”, 190-pound Zack Jones and 6’2″, 190-pound Andre Levrone Jr. as wideout commits in this class.
With Smith and Johnson already in the fold, the Cavaliers could really do some damage in the Tar Heel state. Linebackers Peter Kalambayi and Larenz Bryant are still very much in play for Virginia, and it would be huge if just one of those players came into the fold.
We’ll have much more on Keeon early next week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out his junior season highlights below. (He is no. 19).
