Want to attack every day with the latest UGA football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel brings several days each week. The play-by-play for the recent John Young visit will go light on subtlety and just fire off the ball.
Let’s open the DawgNation file on John Young file with an appreciation for his very “offensive” sounding name. It is only “offensive” in really just one way: It’s a great offensive-lineman-sounding name.
It is short and low on flash but rich in blue-collar and lunch pail elements. John Young sounds like a few guys who are already on “The Wall of Georgia” for Sam Pittman.
Ben Cleveland. Owen Condon. Trey Hill. Cade Mays. Clay Webb. Justin Shaffer. Andrew Thomas. Xavier Truss. That really does read like the four-syllables-or-less club.
There are not a lot of trust funders or silver spoons in that bunch.
The visit this past weekend went well for both parties. The Bulldogs did well to secure one of his three remaining officials. Kentucky and Ohio State are set to claim the other two.
Let’s take him at his word there. He sure sounds like he says what he means and means what he says.
His junior film from a 15-0 state championship team will pop up later below. Those clips will reflect how he plays with just the right kind of nasty.
Young even said he already admires the way Mays plays the game. Watch that film. It will make sense after that.
When he plays to the whistle, it might take a Kryptonian’s super-hearing to hear that echo from the stripes.
“I’ve got a couple of personal fouls for the officials not letting me play through the whistles which is just how I like to play,” Young said.
The nation’s No. 22 OT prospect (per the 247Sports Composite ratings) hails from Louisville. He’ll measure right at the 6-foot-6 mark and tip the scale at 285 pounds.
His skill set flashes the same aggression and versatility that Mays offered the UGA line last year.
With the Bulldogs looking to sign approximately four offensive linemen in a thrifty signing class, those traits work in his favor.
The 6-foot-6 things about the John Young visit
He made several statements that will be of interest to DawgNation. Let’s just rattle them off and not compose a story like it was written by Thurston Thornton Helmsley IV or anything like that.
He said he has known Pittman for about a week or so. But he already considers him one of his favorite coaches on the trail.
“It was an amazing visit,” Young said. “It really was. I got to meet players, coaches, and everybody and get a feel for this city which was just awesome. Really a great visit, of course. They are one of my top schools and I can’t wait to get back.”
What is he looking for?
“Phenomenal school academics-wise and phenomenal school football-wise,” he said. “Half and half. You know of course I want a good culture where ever I am going but at the end of the day if it is great academics and it is great football then you really can’t go wrong. “
Young got to hang with Mays over the weekend.
“I’m a little taller than Cade and I’ve got a little longer wingspan,” he said. “So with that, my body is more built to play tackle than anything else. But of course, at a school like Georgia where everybody is that size in the SEC, I’ve got no problem going into guard.”
He picked a good weekend for his first UGA trip. There was a lot of buzz with Justin Robinson and Carson Beck committing.
John Young on the schools he is considering now
To be honest, he doesn’t have a school which sticks out as his best visit. He had an amazing “Junior Day” at Lousiville last month and also found the 2018 Kentucky home game against Tennessee quite thrilling. The packed stadium at Ohio State last fall for the Minnesota game resonates, too.
His parents came with him to Athens. They loved it. Young’s father is a big football junkie. They both really enjoy college traditions and a program like the one in Athens.
“The Georgia visit this weekend was top-notch,” he said. “That ranks among the best visits, of course.”
The Bulldogs were on his mind as the Youngs trekked home. He was already thinking about his next trip.
“I think my next trip back is going to be an official,” he said. “I’m taking my officials early so my next trip will be here in the next couple of months for an official visit.”
Georgia became a contender as soon as it offered. His two-day visit simply elevated that interest. Young immediately scheduled an unofficial.
Check the tape on John Young
The first play on his reel is indicative of his game. Young starts hunting for his pancake on the 28, engages his man and finally serves it on the 15 heading to the end zone.
It is a fun tape to watch. Let’s preface it with his prologue. It serves as an appetizer the main course.
“What do I do well?” he said while asked to self-scout. “I’m nasty. I’m kind of a hothead. You know not kind of with that. I am a hothead and I come off the ball and I like to get into a dude’s face. I like to [tick] people off.”
The best play here is an example of what he does well. Young likes to lead the way for his back on screens.
The defender tried to get into Young’s chest. He did try.
“So I just threw the d-lineman down,” Young said. “Then I kind of threw him into the cornerback and when the cornerback was tripping down I grabbed him and planted him, too. It was a touchdown.”
What goes on during those trench warfare battles? He was raised right and well enough to know that most of that stuff will just stay on the field.
“Of course after I get somebody on the ground I’m going to let them know about it,” Young said. “I’m going to let them know about it for the rest of the game and I’m going to let them know about it afterward, too.”
“I guess I’ll just leave it at that.”
The John Young things that sound very “offensive lineman”
The future business major will be enrolling early where ever he goes. He was a Louisville fan growing up but stopped short of calling it a dream school.
Let’s try to extend out to Young’s 80-inch wingspan to get our arms around some of the other more intriguing aspects of his story.
- He will commit in July. That means spring officials in April. “I will not visit another school other than the school I’m committed to after I commit. There’s not going to be any of those in-season official visits like some of these guys do after they are already committed. Once I am committed, I’m committed. That’s how it is going to be.”
- It is a seven-hour ride from Louisville to Athens. He spent that watching the NFL Combine on his cell phone. (Let’s hope he has a John Young-sized 4G LTE data plan.) That’s 14 hours. He usually watches film on road trips.
- He will look to release a top schools list in June and commit in July. His birthday is on July 6. It will be on that date. “Just to do it on my birthday and also to get it out of the way before my senior year. You have got to focus on winning another state championship.”
- “I know how to snap,” Young said. “I can play center, too. I’m really comfortable playing anywhere on the line out of both stances so whatever position will get me on the field the quickest is the position that I will be playing.”
- He doesn’t have a nickname. His boys call him “John.” That just makes sense
- “What does he have to work on? “Definitely my hands,” he said. “This weekend ‘Coach Pitt’ and I sat down and watched some drills to work on hands and stuff. Kind of working on hand placement and how to generate the most power with my hands.”
Why does he wear No. 75?
“Because [the] No. 72 [jersey] was too small during my freshman year of high school,” Young said. “Now, I’ve made No. 75 my own around my city. So I’m running with it.”
What did Sam Pittman tell John Young?
Pittman had a clear message about his game. It says something about Young. It is also a preview of the future of the OL room.
“He was just telling me they are probably going to be losing both tackles this year,” Young said.”You know Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson are both probably going to be leaving early. So he was saying they are going to have to reload at the tackle position.”
“Then he said you know I love the way you play. You play with an edge. That’s how I like my linemen to play.”
Kirby Smart was able to connect with Young on a personal level. They talked Louisville and the Kentucky Derby. Coach Smart apparently loves the horses.
“Georgia is elite,” Young said. “It is an elite program. They don’t settle for anything less than a national championship there now to be quite honest. So, that’s the type of program that I like. I like the mindset they have got over there.”
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