One of the highest-rated players in USC’s most recent recruiting class is no more.
A school official confirmed to the Orange County Register that Rahshead Johnson is no longer a member of the football program. No reason was given for the departure, although it could very well have been triggered by a desire for a greater opportunity at playing time.
Johnson was recruited to the Trojans as a wide receiver, but made an in-season move to cornerback. The Register writes that "[h]e would have faced considerable competition for playing time at either position had he remained with the program.”
Johnson was a four-star member of the Trojans’ 2014 recruiting class, rated as the No. 19 receiver in the country; the No. 13 player at any position in the state of California; and the No. 139 player overall. Only three of the 19 members of USC’s last class carried a higher Rivals.com rating than Johnson’s 5.9: Adoree’ Jackson and John Smith‘s 6.1, and Damien Mama‘s 6.0.
Johnson had originally been committed to Washington before flipping to USC a month after Steve Sarkisian left the Huskies for the Trojans.
“Most of all, I love Coach Sark, and I think I can get to the league from USC,” Johnson said last January when asked about the impetus for his flip. “Those were two big things for me.”
As a true freshman last season, Johnson didn’t see the field and took a redshirt. If he transfers to an FBS school -- he held offers from, among others, Arizona, Arizona State, Nebraska, Washington State and Wisconsin -- he would be forced to sit out the 2015 season. He’d then have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2016.
It appears, though, that, at least for the immediate future, Johnson will head to a junior college.
(Photo credit: USC athletics)