Penn State has locked up another official visit with one of its top remaining prospects outside the mid-Atlantic region.
Back in June, four-star cornerback Johnny Dixon took an unofficial visit to University Park to see the school and meet the coaching staff for the first time. After getting a taste of what life is like in and around campus, the Tampa, Fla., native is now anxious to see what a big game atmosphere is like inside Beaver Stadium, as he's now set to attend the Whiteout game against Ohio State, Sept. 29.
“The first thing that stood out to me was the town,” said Dixon, when asked about his previous visit. “I like any school that’s a true college town and that’s what Penn State is. I’d also have to say that I liked the atmosphere there. After talking to all of their coaches, I just got a good vibe from them while I was there.”
If there’s one coach in particular that Dixon has become close with, it’s his would-be position coach, Terry Smith. The 5-foot-11, 170 pound defensive back said that their relationship began about two years ago, although it wasn’t until this past March that they began speaking on a regular basis.
“I first started talking to him my sophomore year,” said Dixon. “He then offered me late last [school] year and that’s when we started talking as much as possible. Now, we usually talk every Thursday or Friday, before the game."
He went on to add, “I really like Coach Smith. He’s my guy. He doesn’t tell you a bunch of different stories and things like that. Some coaches do that. He keeps everything real with you. He was telling me that if I came there, I’d probably start out playing special teams. I don’t mind that, but I just like that he tells me how it is and isn’t feeding me a bunch of stories. He tells me what I’d actually have to do there.”
Head coach James Franklin has also been regularly communicating with Dixon.
“I actually just got off the phone with Coach Franklin,” Dixon said Thursday evening. “He’s real cool. Like Coach Smith, he’s just an honest guy. He’s going to make sure that you know what you’re getting if you go to Penn State. I also feel like he has my best interest in mind. It’s not just about football.”
Aside from the coaching staff, Dixon is also good friends with Jordan Miner. The Class of 2018 prospect was forced to retire from football last month due to a heart condition, but he remains part of the team on a medical scholarship.
In addition to playing on the same 7-on-7 team, Team Tampa, which is actually coached by former PSU defensive back Mark Tate, Dixon and Miner played on multiple youth teams growing up in both football and basketball. The two ultimately ended up at different high schools - Dixon attends Chamberlain and Miner went to Wiregrass - but their friendship has remained strong.
“Jordan is my man,” Dixon said. “I haven’t talk to him since he announced that he had to step away from it all, but I did talk to him when he got up there [in the summer] and from everything he was telling me, he’s having a great time there. I know he really likes it up there.”
Dating back to his sophomore season, Dixon has earned just shy of 20 scholarship offers. Back in May, he announced that Penn State, Alabama, Miami, Ohio State and South Carolina were the five schools standing out the most, but it’s since become clear that Florida is also a serious player in his recruitment.
“I don’t have any other visits set yet,” said Dixon. “The Penn State official is all that I have set right now, but I have been talking to Florida about a visit. I’m thinking about taking an official there. After the season then, I may take an official to Miami.”
So far, Dixon has taken just one official visit, which was to South Carolina back in June. He’s in no rush to make a commitment, but has made it clear that the Nittany Lions should be a serious contender when the time comes.
“They’re definitely a real player for me,” he said. “The distance from home isn’t a factor for me. As long as I feel comfortable where I’m at, it doesn’t matter how far the school is from home.”
A member of the Rivals250, Dixon is currently ranked No. 240 overall. He's the 25th-ranked cornerback and the 27th-ranked prospect in Florida for the Class of 2019.
