A little more than 2½ months after reopening his commitment, cornerback Dijon Johnson found his new home Thursday when he announced he would be attending Florida to play for new coach Billy Napier.
Johnson, from Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida, is No. 88 on the 2023 ESPN 300 and the seventh-best cornerback in ESPN’s rankings.
“I like what they’ve been doing, with Coach Napier building those relationships and being genuine and authentic,” Johnson told ESPN. “And then with [Florida DB] coach [Corey] Raymond, I like what he’s doing also. He plays multiple DBs on the field.”
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Johnson is the 14th ESPN 300 recruit in the Gators’ class and its second-best overall prospect, following defensive tackle Kelby Collins (No. 66).
Florida’s class is currently ranked 10th by ESPN, and Johnson is the 17th in-state recruit to commit.
“The future is bright in Gainesville,” he said. “I feel like I can help take the program back to the top with Coach Napier and the rest of the recruits they got coming in. … [The class] is going to keep going up. The class is going to keep getting better and better.
“With me being a start, I’m going to reach out to some top guys in Florida, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Through five games this season for Wharton High School, he has 10 tackles (six solo), four passes defended and one interception.
“I’m very patient,” Johnson said. “I’m long. I got lift. I got size. I’m physical at the point of attack. I can press man and I can play off man.”
Johnson had previously committed to Ohio State on April 17, only to decommit on July 30.