Former Ohio State DB Jaylen Johnson commits to Memphis

Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield and the staff have been extremely active in the transfer portal, and they made another big Power Five addition on Sunday. Former Ohio State defensive back Jaylen Johnson announced via Twitter that he has committed to Memphis.

Johnson was at Ohio State for two years, but he tore his ACL before his freshman season and redshirted. With the missed season in 2021, Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining for the Tigers. The talented safety was the Buckeyes first player to hit the portal once it opened up.

Coming out of high school, Johnson was ranked as the No. 406 overall player and No. 30 safety. Johnson’s top three was Cincinnati, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Prior to his collegiate career, 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Alan Trieu broke down Johnson’s game.

“Went from 175-pound safety as he started getting recruited to a 200-pound defender as a senior who could play a hybrid role. Still capable of playing in space and covering receivers, but could also play in the box and be like an extra linebacker. Also effective as a blitzer. Lined up like a MIKE at times also. Shows burst and short-area explosion. Hits with power as well. Was able to run plays down which showed he has the speed to play strong safety or as a hybrid in college. Long-term, growing into linebacker is not out of the question though.”