Reuben Johnson, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound three-star defensive back/running back from Winslow Township High School in Atco, N.J., has scheduled an official visit to Tennessee on Oct. 27, but now denies a leader.
Johnson, ranked as the No. 36 cornerback in the country by Scout.com, favors the Vols along with Iowa, Boston College, Michigan State and Kentucky. All have offered and he has over 15 total, including Syracuse and Maryland, which are also still in contention.
"I'm still in the process of narrowing it down," Johnson said. "My coaches and family are all helping me and we just want to find a perfect place for me. I want a school that is on-the-rise and a great overall program. I really want to be able to play.
"It's an honor to have an offer from all of these schools and it's really hard to say I like one over the other," he said. "Right now they are all even."
Johnson's visit to Tennessee is for the South Carolina game. "Tennessee is a powerhouse and the SEC is a powerhouse conference," he said. "They always seem to have a great program. It's a great place to play football and I love their fan support. The school is huge and they always sell out their games."
Although Johnson says that all schools are recruiting him equally hard, he admits that he probably has the best relationship with Iowa linebacker coach Darrell Wilson. "He's a great coach and is a local guy from this area," he said. "He used to coach high school here and I played with his nephew Marcus Wilson (who played defensive back at Iowa) at Camden Catholic."
Johnson's cousin, Mike Daniels, plays defensive tackle for the Hawkeyes. "He says to stay relaxed and not let things get too hectic," he said. "He loves it up there. He's redshirting this year so he's real sad he's not playing, but he always talking about them and trying to get me to go there too. He really wants me to go there."
The two teams that have impressed Johnson the most so far this season are Kentucky and Boston College. "Kentucky has really surprised me this year," he said. "They are doing real good and are playing great football. Plus I think they are still getting better.
"But Boston College is just red hot right now," he said. "I just hope they can keep it going. I like the new coaches a lot and obviously they are doing a great job. I got a great vibe from them when I met them before the season and knew they'd do well."
Winslow Township is a perfect 5-0 and Johnson has over 300 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
He reports a 2.6 core and an 820 two-part SAT - Dec.1 retake. He is also taking the ACT on Dec. 8.