One Midlands program holds a defensive player who could prove to be one of the state of South Carolina's more undervalued commodities as a senior.
Westwood's Zi'Kef Johnson out of the 2021 class showed his college potential last season as a junior in tallying 42 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and 6 interceptions. He frequently mirrored the opposing teams best receiver, which included Power 5 players, and also blocked a field goal to seal a victory late in one contest.
Johnson has worked hard to increase his academic profile and has begun to hear from some Group of 5 and Power 5 schools as well. He's been timed in the 4.5 range (hand-timed) at Westwood and also participates in track (4x100 and 100 meters).
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Johnson's length certainly stands out on film, and he appears to have the frame to put on more good weight to help him match up from a physical standpoint with bigger receivers once he transitions to the college level.
He's willing to be physical, whether it's coming up in support or in the screen/bubble game on the edges. Johnson is adept at beating would-be blockers to the point to fend them off and help out on a tackle, and he's willing to stick his face in the fan to deliver hits.
In coverage, Johnson has good instincts whether it's in man or zone coverage. In man, he works himself in phase and does a quality job of getting his head around to make a play on the ball. He uses his hands well without drawing penalties to dislodge the ball from the receiver.
Johnson can sink his hips to change direction or break on the ball and can adequately shuffle his feet to mirror receivers.
A lack of camp experience could play into his lower profile so far, and Johnson will be limited on that front this summer due to COVID-19. With continued academic improvement and a quality senior season (which is expected around Westwood), he could still see his stock rise substantially.
