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Nahki Johnson gets set for spring ball

Nahki Johnson was always the anchor of Pitt’s 2021 recruiting class. The 6’3” and 245-pound defensive end out of West Mifflin made his decision early and was also one of the classes top rated recruits. Those two things made him a natural leader for the class.

Of course, committing before your junior year does come with a territory. On one hand, you are expected to lead the class for the school you are committed to, on the other it’s a long time for different schools to continue to recruit you as well.

Johnson felt both of those things, but really he never wavered from Pitt. He knew when he committed back in June of 2019 and still says it today, that he made the right choice.

“If I truly wanted to go somewhere, if that’s where my hearts at, then that’s where I’m going to go,” Johnson told reporters last week about why he committed to Pitt so early.

At the time of his commitment, his recruitment was heating up in a big way. He added offers from Penn State, Michigan, LSU, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech throughout the process. Naturally, those around him wondered why he didn’t wait to visit any of those programs before picking Pitt.

He looked at his situation, and talked it over with Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, his lead recruiter, and came to a simple conclusion.

“I just don’t think they’re going to offer me what Pitt will offer me,” is what Johnson told Partridge at one point, and from there the decision was solidified. The Pitt assistant coach was instrumental in making that choice for Johnson.

“Truthfully what really pulled me in was just him, him as a person,” Johnson said of Partridge. “I feel like me and Coach Partridge have more of a personal connection, more than a business connection. Just everything about Coach Partridge I thought was the right choice, like a person that I wanted to coach me.”

From the time of his commitment, he became a spokesman for Pitt throughout the recruiting process. While other schools tried to poach him away, he kept his sights on Pitt. He said other programs would talk down on Pitt, while others wouldn’t even acknowledge his commitment.

“Some schools would not even bring up the fact that I was committed,” he recalled. "They would just talk to me and recruit me if I was still just out here as a free agent.”

Meanwhile, Johnson was doing some recruiting of his own on behalf of Pitt as other schools pursued him. The Panthers also landed commitments from two other local defensive linemen in the class of 2021: Elliot Donald and Dorien Ford.

“I give myself at least half the credit,” Johnson said with a smile when asked if he was key in helping recruiting Donald and Ford. “I grew up with both of them. I knew them before all of the offers, before high school, before all of that.”

Those long standing relationships were key. Now Johnson is looking to cash in on his long standing relationship with Pitt. He was committed to Pitt for so long and around the program so often, he said he felt like a player. Now, it’s official.

“Now that I’m on campus I really feel like officially like a player,” he said.

Johnson is working his way towards spring ball, and by enrolling early he should be able to put himself in a position to see some playing time in his first year. The Pitt defensive line is graduating both starting defensive ends, Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver, so the position will look different in 2021, even with some talented returning depth

“It’s very exciting,” he said of the success of the Pitt defensive line. “Just to know that in a few years that could be me in the same position.”

Johnson electing to stay close to home is something he embraces. He wants to remain humble, but knows a lot of people in the area are looking up to him. Johnson is happy to play the hometown hero role.

“I’m a Pittsburgh guy, I put on for Pittsburgh,” he said.

Of course, staying close to home means a big family presence and support system right in his backyard. He’s excited to carry that excitement for his whole family, though one person might be more excited.

“My dad is looking up my name on google every five minutes to see what the latest posts about me,” Johnson said. "I have a really good family that supports me a lot.”

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