Trey Johnson | @THEtreyjohnson
Lawrenceville (Ga.) C. Gwinnett | ILB | 6-1/1215 | ESPN Rank: No. 96
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: Unranked
Commitment status: A former Auburn commit, Johnson plans to make his announcement Jan. 4 on ESPN during the Under Armour All-America Game.
Who's in the driver's seat: Alabama.
Other candidates: Ohio State.
Dark horse: Florida.
@mitchsherman's take: Johnson visited Ohio State for the Nov. 24 Michigan game, a stirring OSU victory that propelled the Buckeyes to the top of Johnson's list. Linebacker is a priority at this stage of recruiting for Ohio State, which also continues to pursue Texan Mike Mitchell. Johnson decommitted from Auburn after the coaching change and keeps the Tigers in the discussion largely out of respect for the school. The Penn State connection involves defensive coordinator Ted Roof, who originally recruited Johnson while at Auburn under Gene Chizik. USC has long intrigued Johnson, and Oregon recently visited the linebacker, though the Pac-12 powers, in the end, look too far away from home.