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Auburn Tigers

Elite 2017 DE has Auburn as a finalist, drops Alabama

Jason Fraychineaud

By Jason Fraychineaud

Published:

With National Signing Day less than two weeks away, 2017 DE prospect Ryan Johnson has a decision to make.

The 4-star prospect out of Mobile, Ala. has been pursued by a host of schools. He’s easily one of the most dynamic pass-rushers in the Southeast region.

Speaking in an interview with AL.com, Johnson has narrowed his focus down to Auburn and Stanford. He still may visit Texas and USC. But for now, the Cardinal and the Tigers are out in front:

“Right now, since I’ve been to Auburn and Stanford, I’m going to definitely say Auburn and Stanford right now, so those two are definitely my top two right now. Right now they’re pretty even, honestly. Both are really good schools, so I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

A stud prospect in the state of Alabama, the Crimson Tide were contenders for Johnson’s services. With that said, Johnson is no longer considering Nick Saban’s program. The reason being is that Alabama has “too many players” at his same position

From a distance standpoint, Auburn appears like a no-brainer. He’d be playing high-level football within the SEC, and the campus would be driving distance from his friends and family.

With that said, Stanford offers the best combination of academics and football anywhere in the country. This sort of degree can offer opportunities after football that Auburn may not be able to match.

Johnson found out he was accepted to the school, and described how this changed his recruitment:

“That makes things a whole lot harder now. If that wasn’t in the equation, it would be Auburn as the lead right now, but with them right now, it’s hard.”

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