Bulldogs’ Johnson going with Gamecocks
Cedartown is sending another athlete to the Division I ranks.
Rising Bulldog senior Jayden Johnson officially committed to continue his academic and athletic career at the University of South Carolina last Monday, adding to the list of recent Cedartown players to be courted by major college programs.
The three-star prospect joins the club of recent Bulldogs like Clemson running back Kobe Pryor, Eastern Carolina quarterback Taji Hudson and West Virginia running back Tony Mathis. Also like the others, Jayden had plenty colleges vying for his efforts. In total, Johnson has over 20 offers from Division I programs.
Of all these schools, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound athlete narrowed them down to a top four of Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and South Carolina. In the end, the Gamecocks were the easy decision.
“One of the biggest reasons I chose South Carolina was because of my relationship with the coaches and with players who were already committed there,” Johnson said. “I also really liked the depth chart at the defensive back position. They feel that I could have the opportunity to play early there.”
Fans will remember Jayden Johnson as the person who came in and bouyed Cedartown’s 2019 football season after starting quarterback Taji Hudson suffered a seasonending injury in the opening game against Rockmart.
Johnson took over as signal caller and, thanks to his play making ability, the then-junior helped lead Cedartown to the GHSA state playoffs.
Although he has lined up at numerous positions for the
Bulldogs, Johnson is being recruited to play at his natural position in the defensive secondary. Jayden is ranked as the No. 538 prospect nationally for the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports.
He is the no. 40 player in the state of Georgia and is ranked no. 38 at his position.
Now that he has made his college decision, Jayden’s
attention now turns to his final season in a Bulldog uniform. Cedartown’s season starts with a scrimmage at Haralson County on Aug. 14. The team’s official season opener is slated for Aug. 21, as the Bulldogs will travel to Barron Stadium in Rome to take on the Carrollton Trojans as part of the Corky Kell Classic.