East St. Louis safety Antonio Johnson impresses during All-American Bowl workouts
East St. Louis all-state defensive back Antonio Johnson is making his final high school football event a memorable one.
Johnson will compete as a member of the East all-star team at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Saturday in San Antonio. The senior, who will move on to Texas A&M for his college career, turned in an impressive performance during workouts earlier this week, according to Josh Helmholdt who covers college football recruiting in the Midwest for Rivals.com.
“The first, real action in East practices saw the offensive and defensive skill positions engage in 7-on-7 Tuesday morning, and it was Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson who got the week off to a fast start with a couple of big plays from his safety position. The first eye-popping play from Johnson was an interception along the sideline of quarterback Tate Rodemaker on a pass intended for Joshua Downs.,’’ Helmheldt wrote.
“The second play was even more impressive, even though it was not an interception. Rodemaker threw a beautiful pass down the seam to tight end Michael Mayer but Johnson broke on the football in an instant and knocked it down before Mayer could get his hands on the pass. The No. 3-ranked safety prospect in the 2020 class, Johnson’s break on the football, range and instincts stood out on day one..’’
Johnson is one of the top 100 high school players in the nation according to Rivals.
The All-American Bowl is set for noon Saturday and can be seen on NBC.
The 6-3, 185-pound Johnson verbally committed to Texas A&M in September after previously committing to the University of Tennessee last summer
Johnson then helped East St. Louis finish the 2019 season 14-0 and capped the year by leading the Flyers to the Class 6A state championship. Johnson finished the season with 97 tackles, including 66 solos. He also had a pair of interceptions.
Johnson will graduate from East St. Louis following the fall semester and will begin classes at Texas A&M later this month.
