Surprise, surprise! Coach Prime has done it again, and the Colorado Buffaloes once again steal a top southern recruit from the clutches of two blue-blooded SEC powerhouses.
#WECOMING #SKOBUFFS pic.twitter.com/8L8GM4dQCW
— Ju’Juan Johnson (@JujuanJohnson7) February 4, 2023
Ju’Juan Johnson, a 4-Star recruit from the state of Louisiana, ranks as the No. 4 player in his state, the No. 28 athlete, and the No. 225 player overall for the 2024 class, with a composite score of 0.917, and he’s now a member of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Mood with Ju’Juan Johnson commiting to the Buffaloes pic.twitter.com/Tk5Id9O3oi
— Zach Segars (@Zach_Segars) February 4, 2023
As a result, Colorado’s recruiting class for 2024 now ranks 12th, and is right ahead of Ohio State (13th) and Clemson (14th).
2024 Recruiting class looking niiiiiiiiice for the Buffaloes pic.twitter.com/9fdQCNOEpY
— Zach Segars (@Zach_Segars) February 4, 2023
“Anotha one”☝️🦬 #WeComin pic.twitter.com/4mrJa2a8JT
— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) February 4, 2023
Johnson received offers from several of the nation’s top programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and many others, but ultimately narrowed his choices down to three — the Florida Gators, the LSU Tigers, and the Buffaloes.
On Saturday, he announced his choice would be Colorado, which wasn’t too big of a surprise, considering how quickly Johnson’s commitment process sped up, following his visit to Boulder last weekend.
A couple of Ju’Juan Johnson’s initial comments on what stood out about Colorado and led to the decision: pic.twitter.com/T5wgmDi8vx
— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) February 4, 2023
Following his commitment, Johnson discussed how he was drawn to the University of Colorado because he wants to be a part of the foundation of a championship program, and because he felt Coach Prime was special.
“I just feel that it’s more than football with [Coach Prime],” Johnson said. “Being a football player with him is more than just throwing a ball, or catching a ball, guarding somebody. He’s going to teach me how to become a man.”
Johnson was recruited to most of those top programs as a defensive back, but he was an incredible quarterback in high school, and his abilities there shouldn’t be slept on for a Buffaloes team without clear quarterback answers for after 2023.
Johnson recorded 5,487 total yards and 60 TDs last year playing QB 🤯
He’s being recruited as a DB at the next level #WeComin @JujuanJohnson7 pic.twitter.com/kIPoqgdOle
— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) February 4, 2023
While Deion Sanders has already attracted a bevy of cornerback talent to Colorado’s front range, the Buffaloes only have a couple of 3-Stars in the quarterback pipeline for the future. Now, if Shedeur Sanders forgoes the 2024 NFL Draft, that won’t be an issue, but there’s a very good chance he’ll be one of the draft’s more-coveted quarterbacks.
With that in mind, CU has to start preparing for the possibility they’ll need a new starting quarterback in 2024. Maybe Ju’Juan Johnson, even though he would be a true freshman, is that guy.
It would help explain why Johnson might have chosen Colorado.
If he’s looking to play defensive back, the University of Florida (surprisingly) has a clearer path to an eventual starting role than the Buffaloes do. However, if he’s looking to play quarterback at the next level, Colorado is head-and-shoulders more appealing than the rest.
He would be LSU’s fourth-highest-rated quarterback recruit on their roster, and he’d be the second-highest-rated at Florida, but he’d be projected to be backing up an elite 5-Star talent who’s also from the 2024 class.
Could that have been the deciding factor that made Johnson choose Boulder? Time will tell.