Florida will have a key visitor on campus Thursday as guard Jeremiah Johnson will come to Gainesville, and he’s looking to make a decision in the immediate future.
Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, Johnson was originally committed to Oklahoma State when Mike Boynton was the head coach. This was a highly publicized recruitment that took place over a number of years, and it was a huge get for the Cowboys when Johnson announced his commitment. However, things changed when Mike Boynton got fired. Upon meeting new head coach Steve Lutz, Johnson did originally confirm he would be keeping his commitment–but that’s before the roster took shape. It was clear the Cowboys would be transfer heavy as Johnson was the only high school recruit, and they ended up taking a number of guards in the transfer portal and upon reevaluating the situation, Johnson chose to re-open his commitment.
Back when he first made his decision, Johnson chose Oklahoma State over LSU, SMU, Saint Louis, and TCU.
This time around, Johnson is considering Florida, Stanford, Texas A&M, and Green Bay.
Johnson is the 141st ranked player in the class of 2024, and he should be someone who could compete for a spot in a rotation right away. High-level competition is nothing new for him as he started his high school career at prestigious Putnam Academy before transferring to powerhouse Wasatch Academy in Utah before then going to play a post grad year in the Overtime Elite league. This makes him on the older side for a player in the 2024 class, and his experience at powerhouse programs means he has had exposure to the kind of athletes he’ll see at the division-1 level.
Standing at 6’3” and 180 pounds Johnson is a combo guard that can be a primary ball handler or play as a shooting guard. Earlier in his career he was known as more of a traditional point guard, but he has since morphed to being a lethal scorer who can get to his spots on the floor and operate from there, either getting his own bucket or finding teammates once the defense collapses. There is an ease to the way Johnson glides around the floor and it never seems like he’s in a hurry, and the effortless way he seems to play also translates to his jump shot that’s a smooth, connected motion. As a senior at Wasatch Academy Johnson hit 41% of his threes–a remarkable number for a high school player.
Playing for Diamond Doves in the Overtime Elite League, Johnson averaged 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
With good length and great athleticism he has also shown excellent flashes on the defensive side of the court, an area where coaches see great potential.
Florida has been looking to add a young ball handler to their backcourt, and their style of play, competitive NIL, and a pathway to minutes as a freshman is something that could appeal to Johnson. Whatever it is, the Gators are in a great spot here and are thought to be in the driver’s seat for the recruitment. Johnson wants to make his decision quickly and enrol shortly afterwards, so the Gators could be getting some good news as early as Thursday when he first makes his visit.
Guard Keyshuan Tillery, a 2025 guard that is open to the idea of reclassifying to 2024, was also reportedly on campus recently, so the Gators could be looking to close up their final roster spots with some young guards. Tillery, a 4-star prospect, has seen his recruitment take off in recent weeks and could now be looking to head to college early.