When fleet running back Rahmir Johnson visited Nebraska’s campus in late March, it was clear he could envision himself in the Huskers’ offense.
"With (Nebraska's) spread offense, a guy like me getting the ball a lot where I'm at, as a slot receiver/running back, that's what I'm pretty much used to at the moment in high school, so that would be no different at Nebraska," the four-star standout for Oradell, New Jersey’s Bergen Catholic, told the Journal Star.
On Saturday, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedster announced his verbal commitment to Nebraska, becoming the fifth player in the Huskers’ class of 2019. He’s the second running back in the class, joining Thomas Grayson of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Johnson fits the mold of what Nebraska’s new offensive coaches seek at the running back position — that is, players who are also accomplished track athletes.
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Rated as the No. 20 running back in the country by 247Sports’ composite rankings, Johnson ran a 10.75-second 100 meters during the 2017 track season and said he's improved to the 10.5-range this spring. Johnson has also put down a 21.46 in the 200 meters and a 22-foot long jump in his accomplished prep track career.
As a junior at Bergen Catholic, an East Coast prep power, he rushed for 555 yards (6.2 per carry) and six touchdowns, adding two receiving scores. He’s ranked 12th nationally at his position by , and fifth overall in the state of New Jersey.
He also visited Boston College and Ole Miss this spring. In addition to the Eagles and Rebels, other programs that offered Johnson a scholarship included Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and North Carolina.
Johnson's final four was Nebraska, Rutgers, Boston College and Ole Miss.
As for why he chose the Huskers, "Basically, when I went out there (March 31) for junior day, I had a great time with the coaches, and I had a great relationship at that time with coach (Scott) Frost and coach Ryan Held," Johnson told HuskerOnline. "We had good one-on-one talks.
"And then, watching them practice, watching the offense as well as the defense, I could see how much improvement they were making during that day. I just felt like Nebraska is a great fit for me. I have been talking with my family (about committing) for the past couple of weeks, and they are on board with where I want to be."
Johnson was attracted to the fast tempo of Frost’s offense.
"I want to play in an offense that is fast and tries to catch the defense off guard,†he said. “I'm used to that, so I was like, 'Yeah, this is for me.'â€