FAYETTEVILLE — Virginia safety commitment Donovan Johnson didn’t have high expectations before making his official visit to Arkansas, but he left Fayetteville on Sunday very impressed.
“My visit kind of, like, opened my eyes some,” Johnson said. “I didn't expect it to look like this, be like this and I didn't expect the players to be so friendly with me and open. They were giving me real advice. They wasn't being fake or anything. They were being real with me. You know the facilities are always going to look good.”
Johnson, 6-2, 180 pounds, of Harvey (La.) Helen Cox, committed to the Cavaliers in June, but he will now decide between Virginia and Arkansas on Tuesday. He will enroll in January at the school of his choice.
The 48-hour visit allowed him to get to know Pittman.
“I like coach Pittman,” Johnson said. “He was a real guy to me. That kind of stood out to me.”
ESPN rates him a 3-star prospect, the No. 37 safety in the nation and the No. 25 recruit in Louisiana. The highlight of trip was the traditional Friday night dinner at a local restaurant.
“The fans showed a lot of love,” he said.
Johnson recorded an electronic 4.66 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 4.39 seconds in the pro-agility shuttle and 33.1 inches in the vertical leap at an Opening Regional event in the spring.
The drive from his hometown to Fayetteville is a little more than nine hours, while drive time to Charlottesville, Va., is approximately 14 hours. Johnson said distance from home will have no bearing on his decision.
“My mom don't have a problem, so I don't have a problem,” he said.