Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
Former Utah quarterback Brian Johnson has been thinking recently about his recruitment out of high school.
The Baytown (Texas) Tyler Lee product was lightly recruited, gathering offers from Illinois, Louisiana Tech and Utah, but few of the big time schools were ready to take a chance. That's kind of how Johnson has been feeling as he attempts to take the leap to the NFL.
Despite leading the Utes to an undefeated season and a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, Johnson wasn't invited to any of the showcase senior bowls. He didn't get an invitation to the NFL combine and he never got a call from any of the NFL teams for a private workout. Johnson's agent has told him the interest is there, especially by teams that run West Coast offenses, but come the draft this weekend, Johnson doesn't know what to expect.
"I think I'll be a late round pack, anywhere from five to seven [fith to seventh round] and worse case I'll get into a camp and get an even shot," Johnson said. "I kinda feel like my college career is kind of starting over again because I wasn't the highest recruited guy coming out of high school and I kind of feel like it's the same way trying to take that next step in my career."
Johnson and his family are flying to Salt Lake City today to watch the draft from his apartment. He said his family wanted to come up Salt Lake one final time and he needed to clean out his college apartment.
Johnson said most of the team's he's heard from want to keep him at quarterback and that he hasn't even entertained the thought of switching positions. He said he's not going to watch too much of Saturday's coverage, but he'll be hoping for a phone call on Sunday.
For Johnson, the draft isn't so much about getting drafted, it's about getting a shot. Even throughout his senior season, people doubted Johnson's ability, but he said he's put in the work and the time this offseason to deserve a chance.
"All it takes is one team and one situation for you to go out there and show what you can do," Johnson said. "Everyone knows what I can do, so for me I just want to go out there and find a way to stick. It's hard enough to get into that league, but once you get in you have to find a way to stay in. So, I just want to go out there and see if I can do that."
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
