Will Johnson commits to the Hokies

The Virginia Tech Hokies picked up their first football commitment since the COVID-19 outbreak shut down in-person recruiting as Will Johnson committed to the Hokies on Tuesday evening.

Who is Johnson?

He is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety from St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Md., and is a class of 2021 prospect. He is Virginia Tech’s fourth commit for this class, joining Dematrius Davis, Nykelius Johnson and Jalen Hoyle.

A three-star prospect per 247Sports composite rankings, Johnson had a plethora of offers from different ACC and Big Ten schools. With camps and face-to-face meetings canceled for the time being, this actually played into Virginia Tech’s favor.

Johnson is a player some of the elite programs, like Penn State and Notre Dame were keeping tabs on. While neither had offered, that appeared to be a mere formality at this point.

The Hokies are recruiting Johnson as a linebacker. At 200 pounds, he will need to add 20-25 pounds once he arrives in Blacksburg. That can be easily attained without losing any of the impressive athleticism Johnson boasts.

As a safety, Johnson has shown good ability in coverage and is strong in run support. He profiles as a good athlete with terrific instincts and football intelligence.

This is a great pickup for the Hokies.

Johnson’s recruitment is another case of not paying attention to star rankings. Yes, the Hokies need more four-star signees. But that doesn’t mean three-star recruits can’t play and/or become stars. Johnson is a player who is only going to get more attention as the recruiting process goes on through the fall.

And, he’s the ideal Virginia Tech Hokie.

We’ve said how critical the 2021 class is for head coach Justin Fuente and the Hokies. So far, it’s off to a solid start, but the momentum must continue.