Longtime readers of mine know I love linebackers. The grieving process was long after Oumar Diomande followed Jim Mora to Colorado State, but Jason Candle brought in solid guys like K’Von Sherman, Luke Murphy, and John Lista. He’s kept that streak going in bringing in talented Pittsburgh LB Minikon Johnson.
New DC Ryan Manalac set some roots in Pittsburgh as Pitt’s LB coach from 2021 through 2025, and those roots may have paid off, as the talented Johnson makes his way to Storrs. Originally committed to West Virginia, Johnson reopened his recruiting in November. He was scheduled to visit Morgantown last weekend, and was supposed to visit Temple this weekend, but he moved up his visit, a good sign perhaps.
Since the beginning of his junior season, Johnson received offers from Penn State, SMU, Maryland, Wake Forest, James Madison, Virginia Tech, Temple, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, and Marshall, showing he’s still in high demand. Johnson was First-Team Defense in his conference this season, leading his Bishop Canevin squad to a 9-3 record, losing in the semifinals in their playoff. Johnson is rated an 86 by 247Sports, an 88 by On3, and 77 by ESPN.
And if you think the Pittsburgh connection doesn’t mean much, well let Minikon in his own words dispel that. “I chose UConn because this is just home. Mad Pittsburgh guys down here, coaches from Pittsburgh. I love it down here, think it’s the best fit for me; got a great connection with the coaches, love the culture down here. They got a dawg, best believe dat!”
