Texas A&M lands commitment from East St. Louis (IL) S Antonio Johnson

Another big-time piece to Texas A&M's 2020 recruiting puzzle has fallen in favor of the Maroon & White as East St. Louis (IL) safety Antonio Johnson‍ has made the call to be an Aggie. Widely considered to be one of the top prospects in the entire Midwest, Johnson chose A&M over offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State and many more.

At 6-2, 190 pounds, Johnson is an intimidating presence in the middle of the field. He already packs a wallop that should get even more violent when he adds weight in college. His physicality really stands out on tape. He possesses an elite nose for the football, racking up nearly 150 tackles and seven interceptions in two seasons as a varsity starter. Although he plays the game with a lot of force and tenacity, he has also shown a solid football IQ at safety. He plays a sound centerfield role and flashes huge upside in terms of sideline-to-sideline range.

Johnson may very well be the best two-way player in Illinois. He’s a touchdown waiting to happen at wide receiver and in the return game. You can see his ball skills translate from receiver to safety and vice versa. You can view his junior highlights below. 

Johnson’s pledge moves the Aggies to 17 commits in total for the 2020 class, and he joins Jaylon Jones‍ and Joshuah Moten‍ in Texas A&M’s 2020 defensive back class. He is the first true safety commit for Mike Elko in the group.

More coverage: Jason Howell talks with Johnson about his recruiting process and decision.