Temple hosts 2023 Florida wideout on visit
Inlet Grove High School football coach Rashad Jackson felt one of his top players, wide receiver Kian Johnson, had been overlooked by Division I programs.
Johnson caught 28 passes for 630 yards and three touchdowns this past season, and he posted a 400-meter dash time of 48.5 seconds last month that won him seventh place in the state track meet, but Johnson believes his 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame might have put him in the underdog category during a recruitment that landed him several FCS offers and another from Bowling Green.
So Jackson put out some feelers and got in touch with Temple wide receivers coach Jafar Williams, who liked what he saw of Johnson’s film. Williams made the trip down to Florida last week to watch Johnson work out and run routes at Inlet Grove. Williams again liked enough of what he saw, this time in person, and asked Johnson to take an official visit to Temple this week.
Johnson flew up to Philadelphia Thursday, met with Williams, head coach Stan Drayton and a handful of players, including wide receiver Ian Stewart.
Johnson said he had dinner with Williams and Temple's Director of Player Personnel Andrew Liacopoulos Thursday night. He told OwlScoop.com Friday morning that he hasn't received an offer yet from Temple and that Williams said the staff would be in touch with him later this week.
If they do extend an offer, Johnson said he would commit.
“Through the visit, everything just felt like home,” Johnson told OwlScoop.com. “They treated me like family.”
If Johnson becomes a late addition to Temple's 2023 class, he would be the seventh player from the talent-rich state of Florida to sign with the Owls and the third wideout, joining Booker T. Washington’s Xavier Irvin and Homestead’s Richard Dandridge. Johnson said he knows Temple recruit Darrell Sweeting, who signed with the Owls in December out of The Benjamin School, which is located about 10 minutes up the road in North Palm Beach from Inlet Grove.
Prior to hearing from Temple, Johnson said he was looking at interest he had received from Western Kentucky or FIU. Once his head coach told him that Williams would be coming to watch him work out, his interest was piqued.
“I was excited because it was a big school that I needed,” Johnson said. “When [Sweeting] committed, he told me all about it. So when I figured that they wanted to visit me, I got really excited. This is an opportunity, and I’m jumping at the first chance I get.”
Johnson is being recruited as a wide receiver, but he’s done a little bit of everything, including playing safety and returning kickoffs and punts.
Whatever he does at the next level, he will be grateful for it.
“It would mean everything for me,” said Johnson, who said he’s looking into Temple’s architecture or sports management programs if he winds up getting the offer and enrolling. “I’ve worked my whole life to get to this point. And coming in as an underdog myself, I feel like I can set a good example for those guys out there that are overlooked.”