In the recruiting world, you hear a lot about recruits looking for a family atmosphere at their future home. Over the weekend on his official visit to Pitt, Kenny Johnson believes he found that.
The 6’1” and 185-pound wide receiver out of York, PA just felt that type of connection throughout his visit, whether it was hanging out with his future position coach Tiquan Underwood, or spending time with his player host Konata Mumphfield, but maybe it was the impromptu birthday party the Pitt coaches threw for his sister that put it over the top.
“It was my sister’s birthday and they got her a cake, sung her happy birthday and made everybody sing for her and just the fact of the matter they cared enough to do that for her was just amazing,” Johnson told Panther-Lair.com following his commitment.
Johnson did not know coming into this weekend he would commit, but that family bond started from the moment he got there. After thinking it through, he knew Pitt is where he wanted to be.
“Why not Pitt?,” he asked when breaking down his decision. “They’ve got a great receiving coach in Coach Underwood, amazing coach, amazing person. I really feel like him, Coach (Frank) Cignetti, Coach Duzz, they’re going to develop me as a player. They’re going to get me past my God given ability and I truly believe that and they truly believe that. It’s just going to be a great thing, I know it’s going to be a great thing.”
The relationship with Underwood is key. Johnson did not hold an offer from Pitt until February, after Underwood was hired as the new wide receiver’s coach. The Dallastown High School standout just felt a connection with his future position coach.
“I think our relationship is so strong because we relate to each other and we understand each other and we think almost kind of the same way,” Johnson said of Underwood. “He’s just a great person and a great coach. He’s put me on to so many things, so many secrets that I don’t think I’d be as good as I am now without…they’ve just helped me so much. I just know when I get there they’ve got so much more for me.”
Johnson was one of six players to commit while on the visit this weekend. That list of new commitments includes Antonion Camon, Shadarian Harrison, Shelton Lewis, Isaiah Neal, and Brice Pollock. It was a raucous atmosphere having everyone decide in one weekend.
“It was crazy, everybody was in there we were jumping, the coaches, the chairs were broken,” he said of Pitt’s big recruiting weekend. “It was a great energy in the room, an energy I haven’t felt since probably like a fourth quarter of the game, it’s tied, you’re on the five yard line and you’re trying to score. It was that type of vibe going on.”
Johnson had official visits planned to see Penn State, Rutgers, and West Virginia later this month, but those are now off the table. He said he is 100% with Pitt. Now that he is fully on board, he’s going to try to help the staff recruit a little bit.
“I’m going to try to get Hykeem (Williams),” Johnson said of his first recruiting target as a Pitt commit. "He’s got to get on board. Me and him together, I feel like we could work together real good in the offense. I mean obviously it’s going to be his choice, and it’s going to be whatever is best for him and his family, but definitely a guy that would be huge, huge help that would go back and do some great things.”
While on the visit, Johnson also bonded with Kenny Minchey, the Panthers quarterback commitment for the class. The two share a name and will soon be sharing a playbook.
“That’s going to be live,” Johnson said of playing with Minchey. “I was talking to him, he’s a super humble dude. He can spin it, he can spin the ball man. I’m excited about it, it’s going to be great.”
