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Bama adds in-state point guard for 2023

R.J. Johnson is no question the top player in the state of Alabama for the 2023 recruiting cycle, and Alabama head coach Nate Oats and staff did a great job keeping him in-state with his commitment.

Johnson was starting to catch the eye of a few SEC programs before Alabama ended up closing the book on his recruitment. Johnson visited Tuscaloosa on August 17 once the Tide got back from their foreign tour where they went 3-0, and an offer came the day after. He was expected to announce his decision on August 22, but after the Alabama offer, he decided to hold off and decide a little later. Once that happened, things fell into place quickly.

Alabama coach Nate Oats with RJ and his family during his recent visit to Alabama
Alabama coach Nate Oats with RJ and his family during his recent visit to Alabama (RJ Johnson)

Johnson is a 6’2 190 lb point guard who will not wow you in any facet of the game, but if you want a consistent playmaker who knows how to play the game, then Johnson is your guy. He is coached at Grissom High School (Huntsville, AL) by legendary head coach Jack Doss, who also produced former 5-star Alabama player John Petty Jr. while at Jemison High School.

The next steps for Johnson are to improve decision-making with the ball in his hands, scoring efficiently, as well as just getting stronger, which a college lifting program will definitely improve. He will be a solid depth player to have on the roster as he continues with his development into an SEC-caliber PG. The good news is he will likely have guys such as Mark Sears, a Muscle Shoals native, to help him develop. Sears and Johnson are both similar in size (Sears is 6’1 190 lb) so they will be able to help each other in practice. Coach Oats and his staff have a great reputation for developing guards once they get to Alabama and I see that happening to R.J. as well.

While R.J. Johnson isn’t a highly touted recruit or an immediate gamechanger when he gets to Alabama, he is a home product that will be able to perform for his home state. Guys who stay home and represent their state typically have a bigger chip on their shoulder to prove something to people that have been following them for years. It is also always a great thing to keep the top player in the state at home, and Alabama did a great job of doing that.

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