Signed: Donovan Johnson

WHAT HE DID Johnson excelled at cornerback and running back for Cass Tech, which finished the year undefeated at 14-0 and won the MHSAA Division I championship. It was the team’s second consecutive state title. Johnson scored two touchdowns in the Technicians’ 49-20 victory over Novi Detroit Catholic Central in the championship game this past November.

WHAT HE WON Johnson earned All-City and All-State honors from the Detroit Free Press, and he also recently took part in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He is a four-star prospect and a member of the Rivals250, coming in at No. 224 overall. He’s the 18th-ranked cornerback nationally and the fourth-ranked player in Michigan.

WHERE HE VISITED In addition to Penn State, Johnson’s list of suitors included such schools as Nebraska, Oregon, Pitt, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. But he only took two official visits, checking out the Hokies in September and the Nittany Lions in early December. He committed to Penn State in mid-December, less than two weeks after the team claimed the Big Ten Championship.

QUOTABLE Johnson: “I spent a lot of time with a lot of players here. They were real cool and it wasn’t hard for me to fit in with them. It’s like a brotherhood here. They spend a lot of time together. They answered the questions that I asked and it just seemed like [they have] great people here.”

PHIL’S TAKE The Nittany Lions have landed three high-quality cornerback prospects, with D.J. Brown and Lamont Wade joining Johnson in the Class of 2017. It looks to be the second-best group of cornerbacks in the Big Ten behind Ohio State’s contingent. Johnson just might be the most underrated member of the Lions’ group. He has 4.35-second 40-yard speed and a 37-inch vertical leap. In addition, he displays excellent hand-eye coordination, an affinity for press one-on-one coverage and an ability to close on the football. I expect him to play the field cornerback position at Penn State.