James Johnson, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star wide receiver/defensive back from Valley Center High School in Valley Center, Calif., says he has around 10 scholarship offers and still denies a leader.
Johnson, ranked as the No. 85 wide receiver in the country by Scout.com, favors Oregon, Colorado, California, Arizona State and Arizona. All have offered as well as Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Wake Forest and Washington State.
He says that all of his favorites are recruiting him as an athlete. "I like playing both positions," he said. "That's just another thing I'm thinking about."
On Oct. 4, Johnson took his first official visit to Colorado for the Texas game. "It was a great experience," he said. "It's a beautiful place and a really clean area.
"I felt like I could breathe better there and felt like I really fit in," Johnson said. "The people were really nice and seemed very genuine and interested. People don't really say 'hi' to you in California like they do out there in Colorado."
The only other school in his top five that he's already been to was Oregon when he attended the Ducks camp during the summer.
"I really like the area at Oregon," Johnson said. "Plus, the facilities are the best in the nation. It's something I haven't seen before. It's like the future of football - it's like it's 2012 there or something."
Another thing the Ducks have going for them is their coaching staff. "I have a good relationship with the coaches," he said. "(Secondary) coach John Neal is a good guy and I like coach Mike Bellotti a lot too."
The only in-state program that Johnson is looking at is California. "They offer a great education," he said. "But I've never been to northern California so I don't really know what it's like."
Johnson did watch the Bears lose to Arizona on TV this past weekend. "I was real surprised that Cal lost," he said. "I thought Cal would win, but Arizona is getting better and better. They are looking really good right now."
He's also considering Wildcats rival Arizona State as well. "I really like their style of play," he said of the Sun Devils. "I have a cousin that lives out there so I'd have some family around me, plus they are only like five hours away.
"I don't care about staying close though," he said. "I'd kind of like to get out and experience something new."
So which team has impressed Johnson the most so far this season? "Most of the schools I've been looking at have been pretty inconsistent," he said. "I think maybe Oregon has looked the best. For all the injuries they've had, it's really impressive how well they've done."
Growing up, Johnson admits that he never really followed college football. "I didn't get into football until high school," he said. "I liked the NFL and was a Cowboys fan."
Johnson says he'll most likely wait until close to signing day before making a decision. "I'm looking for a place where I like the people and get along with the coaches and players," he said. "I'll be living there for four years and I want to make sure I like it and have fun too.
"I'm more of a players coach kind-of-guy," he said. "So that's what I'll be looking for."
Johnson has helped lead his team to a 5-1 record and has caught 29 balls for approximately 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, he has 30 tackles and five interceptions.
He says he can bench-press 245-pounds and squat 415. Johnson also claims a 38-inch vertical jump.
"I work hard and love to compete," he said. "I don't get beat and am focused on winning. I do a little bit of everything. I can be physical when I want to be, but also have good finesse.
"I believe you're always able to get better," he said. "I want to improve on everything and really go after the ball better. I'm always trying to learn about the game and understand things more."
Johnson doesn't know what he plans to major in, but says he'd like to be a firefighter. He reports a 3.2 core GPA and 1400 SAT.