Evanston junior defensive back Justin Johnson is a relative newcomer to football, but he figured out a way to get on Power Five programs’ radar.
He ran a personal-best 10.64 seconds in the 100 meters to win a medal at the IHSA Class 3A state track and field finals last spring. Johnson is a consensus four-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, and the state’s No. 12 player in the junior class.
His game-breaking speed — he’s also a returning medalist in the 200 — helped him land seven Big Ten offers, and he recently became Illinois’ first local commit in the 2027 recruiting cycle.
“They’ve been recruiting me since last fall,” said Johnson, who has been running track for years but didn’t start playing football till high school.
The 6-2, 180-pounder has plenty of ties to the school — both of his parents went there, and Evanston coach Miles Osei played for the Fighting Illini. But Johnson said no one pushed him toward coach Bret Bielema’s program.
“Coach Osei, he didn’t want to tell me to go anywhere,” Johnson said.
And he said his parents just wanted him to find a place that felt right. It wound up being Illinois.
The recruiting process could be enjoyable and nerve-racking, he said.
“I feel it was definitely fun to go to different schools and experience the different vibes going on,” Johnson said, “It was [also] stressful . . . trying to be my best version [of myself] talking to coaches.”
Johnson has one more season each of track and football, as he plans to graduate early and join the Illini for spring practice in 2027.
“I’m taking this year [of track] super serious,” he said. “I’m trying to win at least one gold.”
Then it will be on to his final prep football season. The Wildkits were 3-6 in Osei’s first season and aim to get back to the state playoffs for the first time since 2021. The commitment to improve is there, Johnson said.
“This offseason has been a grind, 6:30 lifts every morning,” he said.
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