By John C. Cotey, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011
TAMPA — Travis Johnson can still count all of his college scholarship offers — he says he's at 13, though Rivals.com lists him at 16 — but expects that someday soon he will only know who he has them from, not how many.
"I still write them down every time I get one, so I know," said Johnson, who has been busy sharpening his pencil of late.
It has been that frenetic for the Jesuit wide receiver, one of the area's hot commodities this spring. Along with fellow sophomores such as Armwood's Leon McQuay III and Middleton's Richard Benjamin, Johnson is a standout in the 2013 class.
Colleges eager to get in early on a player are wasting less time than in years past. That is why Johnson doesn't want to place too much stock in all the attention he has been receiving.
"I do have two more years of high school left, so I can't really worry about myself right now, I'm thinking more of the team," Johnson said. "I just try to put all this aside."
While offers from schools such as LSU, Miami and Ohio State have been nice, and sometimes Johnson admits he will let his mind wander a bit and soak it all up, he has worked hard this offseason, not on drawing college interest but on getting on the same page with new starting QB Tommy Eveld.
Johnson will be working with his third quarterback in three seasons and wants to make sure the duo has chemistry.
Last year, Johnson had 36 catches for 612 yards and eight touchdowns. His new quarterback has yet to start a varsity game.
"Well, Tommy is the hardest working player in the state of Florida, I would say. He goes hard every play. … He just works," Johnson said.
And Eveld has a 6-foot-4 target to throw to. At Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, the two hooked up five times, including once on fourth and 20.
Johnson's size, speed and hands make him a versatile pass catcher.
"The colleges like my size and that I do have the speed to hang with the little cornerbacks and have the size to get out of press coverage and I use my hands well," he said. "Some people are projecting me as a tight end. I would like to play receiver. But if that's my calling, then I'll go in and do what I have to do."
Cyber Talk: Wharton DB Vernon Hargreaves, another in that impressive 2013 class, picked up an offer from Florida State, according to Josh Newberg from 247Sports. Hargreaves, whose dad is a coach at USF, also has an offer from the Bulls. … Newberg also tweeted that Iowa State offered scholarships to King WR Chris Murray, who already has a Kansas offer, and Admiral Farragut's versatile Rayshawn Jenkins, who is verbally committed to USF. … According to Rivals' Chris Nee, Armwood OL Cameron Dees recently has received offers from New Mexico, Ball State, and Delaware, and Middleton's Benjamin picked up offers from New Mexico and Eastern Kentucky.