Montele Johnson, who committed to Rutgers football late on Saturday afternoon, has the look and feel of being a physical Big Ten linebacker. A three-star recruit, Johnson is a top 20 player out of Michigan in the 2024 recruiting class.
The standout linebacker from West Bloomfield High School (West Bloomfield, MI) was coveted by several top programs including from the Big Ten and the SEC.
He is a legit Power Five recruit. A month ago, Johnson released a top five that included Rutgers as well as Boston College, Kansas, Louisville and West Virginia. Programs such as Kentucky, Louisville and Purdue also offered Johnson.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Johnson had a strong junior season with 102 total tackles, 23 tackles-for-a-loss, 3.4 sacks, five quarterback hurries and three passes defended.
He is a strong physical presence. Johnson instinctually moves well to the ball and develops a thump with his tackle. He thrives on physical play.
At the high school level, he sheds blockers well and is good in pursuit. He is solid in coverage as well.
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Check out some of Johnson’s top plays from his season opener last fall:
Johnson was the third player to commit to Rutgers football on Saturday, with all three coming on the defensive side of the ball.
Three-star defensive lineman Aaris Bethea from Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.) became the first commit of the weekend. He was followed by Florida safety Dahkari Gilley, who came to Rutgers very much under-the-radar.
Johnson represents the third commitment from what has been a very solid recruiting weekend for Rutgers.
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