Rahyme Johnson
Status:
Committed
HIGH SCHOOL

Rahyme Johnson

Linebacker
6′4″ / 200 lbs
Los Angeles, CA
Salesian
Class of 2017
Rating: 89
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National Avg
Rating: 89.0
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School Preferences

School
Interest
Offer
Official Visit
UCLA
Committed
1/7/2017
Nebraska
High
Oregon
High
Oregon State
High
Texas A&M
High
Notre Dame
Medium
Arizona State
Medium
Arkansas
Medium
Boise State
Medium
BYU
Medium
California
Medium
Florida
Medium
Fresno State
Medium
Hawaii
Medium
Illinois
Medium
Kansas
Medium
Maryland
Medium
Missouri
Medium
San Diego State
Medium
Utah
Medium
Vanderbilt
Medium
Washington
Medium
Washington State
Medium
+ 18 More

Staff Predictions

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Confidence
Prediction
Name & Date
Our staff hasn't made any predictions for Rahyme Johnson yet.

Videos

(1 Total)
Natural Born Thriller

Updates

Christian  McCollum
7 yr ago by Christian McCollum
ISD Intel (12/16)
Message received.We're not exactly sure how Brian Kelly is going to respond to the message, but we do know it's been delivered.People who have spoken with the Notre Dame head coach since the end of the regular have told us the exit interviews Kelly with players after the USC game were revealing.The biggest takeaway from at least one source was with regard to the strength and conditioning program in South Bend.In no uncertain terms, according to one source, the players let their head coach know they felt they could handle more and wanted more. And it sounds like they're going to get more.We're not sure exactly what changes are going to be made and don't know they will include any kind of personnel changes, but there will be changes and they will be welcomed by the team.Also, in talking to people who have spent time with Kelly in recent weeks, there was a sense that Kelly was personally shouldering much of the blame for the disappointing 2016 season. Kelly talked about him needing to do a better job of handling the leadership within the team and making sure his team plays with an edge.Again, we have no indication on how Kelly plans to respond, but recognizing the problem is encouraging.As we've reported here before, in terms of on-field responsibilities, expect Kelly to play a large role in the shaping of the offense in 2017.SENSE OF THE UNKNOWN: With the changes in The Gug this week, there was a sense of nervousness coming from the team, as they simply don't know who will be coaching them when they return from winter break. Part of that uncertainty seems to be on the verge of being resolved with last night's reports that Mike Elko is in the process of finalizing a contract to become the Irish's next defensive coordinator.In talking with a source, the team isn't wasting time focusing on the what they don't know. "I know it's all over the media, but they are trying to block it out and support each other," explained the source. "Coach Kelly is returning and they know he has the best interests of the program in mind. It's tough to see coaches come and go, but they know it's the nature of the business."Notre Dame is going through finals week, so that has also helped limit the distractions according to another source. "We are only talking about finals stuff this week," the source stated. "That's the only thing we are talking about until exams are finished." It's clear the team was supporting their coach, Mike Elston, for defensive coordinator, but they understood Kelly could look outside. "The support for Elston is clear," stated a source. "You can see the support on Social Media from current and former players."But we were also told, "the team will support the new defensive coordinator.""The team is excited to finally have a defensive coordinator named and start having a sense of what direction the team is headed down." WHO IS MIKE ELKO? We caught up with a source close to the Wake Forest program to get some details on the apparent next defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. The popular question on the boards has been what kind of recruiter is Elko? Well, our source believes Elko is a "fairly" good recruiter. On in-home visits, Elko typically brings another position coach and he was seeing some of the top Wake Forest commits prior to the dead period. Elko was part of landing a few commits who had multiple Power Five offers. The source also believes Elko will be more effective with the resources and the branding that Notre Dame presents. As for his style of coaching, Elko was described as an "in your face" type of personality, who is a high-energy guy. He demands a lot of his players, but he has proven his ability to get a lot out of his guys in return. It's clear by reading a few tweets from players Elko has coached, he has made quite the impact. https://twitter.com/jlbiii3/status/809543143544750080https://twitter.com/CamoGlenn/status/809570995237486593 https://twitter.com/KevJr9/status/809562943364927489Finally, in terms of schematics, Elko could be just what Brian Kelly has been searching for during his tenure at Notre Dame. Our source believes Elko will bring a bend-but-don't-break defense, while getting exotic on third down. Elko loves to run a 4-2-5, which has a hybrid DE/LE, the "drop" and one LB/S safety hybrid, "the rover." He's not afraid to send pressure when he needs to, but the source believes Elko likes to ensure his defenses don't give up big plays at the same time. WHERE'S GRAHAM GOING?: Everyone will find out where Thomas Graham is going in a matter of hours, when the 2017 California cornerback announces his college decision at 2 p.m. (EST)/11 a.m. (PST).First of all, barring a last-minute change, we don't expect Graham to choose Notre Dame.Heading into the final days of the decision, it seems like it came down to three schools Notre Dame, Oregon and Arizona State. We're aware of the late buzz surrounding Nebraska, but we've never seen the Cornhuskers as true threats and heading into the final day, we still don't. We just never got the sense Graham felt Lincoln was the spot for him to spend the next few years of his life and adding defensive backs coach Donte' Williams from Arizona wasn't going to change that."But these guys are such politicians that I don't know if they talked him into it," one source cautioned us, so we're not completely ruling anything out at this point.However, Williams' departure from the Wildcats certainly damaged their chances and all but knocked them out, leaving the Irish, the Ducks and the Sun Devils.Graham's parents' preference of Notre Dame has been no secret since March with his father and since September with his mother. But this was always going to be Graham's decision, which is why we did our best to bat down whispers of him being a silent commitment to the Irish.In the end, if Graham doesn't end up in South Bend, location will be the primary reason. He understands the opportunities on and off the field at Notre Dame are essentially unparalleled, especially when stacked up against his other choices, but family is huge for him. And while his parents tried in their own way to push him to South Bend, it doesn't seem like he was ready to go that far away from his family. We're told it was a "fullcourt press" down the stretch for Graham and that involved a ton of negative recruiting, too much according to one source. And yes, part of that negativity included somebody placing a certain newspaper advertisement in Graham's hands.Going into the announcement, we're not sure how many people close to Graham know exactly what he's going to say and we're expecting neutral colors to be worn by those on stage with him."It's not over yet," we were told. "He said he's going to come out and say what's on his mind on Friday and that's going to be it."To be honest with you, with his top three schools, anyone could take it."We know Graham has been struggling with this decision for months and doesn't want to let anybody down or put himself in an uncomfortable situation.When he makes that decision, it could be for Arizona State or Oregon, but our guess is that it will be for the Ducks.TOP TRAINER SAYS FIELDS UNDERRATED: With his roster of clients, it's obvious Clay Mack knows what it takes to make a successful defensive back.The Founder of Clay Mack Skills in Dallas trains top 2017 targets DeAngelo Gibbs, Jeff Okudah, Justin Broiles and Robert Barnes, not to mention elite LSU safety Jamal Adams, who could be a Top 10 NFL Draft pick.So, when Mack says Evan Fields can play, we tend to believe the 2017 Oklahoma safety who recently received an offer from Notre Dame can play."I think he's way under the radar to be honest," Mack said of Fields, who narrowed his list to Arizona State, Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame after receiving offers from the Irish and the Ducks within the last week and a half."It's just the landscape for recruiters and how they see certain regions of the country as it relates to the popularity of the sport. Texas, Florida and California get a lot of attention and Oklahoma doesn't get as much attention as far as high school football is concerned."If the Oklahoma City native lived a couple hundred miles south, Mack believes he'd already have been a major national prospect."He's one of those kids, if he was inside the borders of Texas let's say, he would be one of those kids who would get a lot of attention," said Mack. "Oklahoma has a lot of kids like that I think Oklahoma gets a raw deal as it relates to the marketing aspect of high school football because there is a lot of good football played up there in Oklahoma."Evan is way under the radar. When you put his size and athletic ability and his film together, when you watch his film, it's like he's out there with kids because of his physical nature is off the charts. His football IQ is on par with where it needs to be. He gets it. He's fast enough and the whole nine. I think he's the total package and I think he'll continue to develop. He's one of those kids who is under the radar for real."Fields, who makes a two-hour drive each way for his sessions with Mack, credits him with helping him improve."He's showed me a bunch of stuff," said Fields. "He breaks down the things it takes to be a great defensive back."Fields announced a top four of Notre Dame, Oregon, Kansas State and Arizona State earlier this week and told us he would take an official visit to South Bend the weekend of Jan. 20th.http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4009922/57f167aced57ee22f813910cMILLER MAY STICK WITH BUFFS: As we've said for weeks now, 2017 Texas cornerback/wide receiver Chris Miller is a player the Irish have been trying to pull from Colorado. We were optimistic about Notre Dame's chances of getting him to South Bend for a visit immediately after the offer based on our knowledge of those close to him encouraging him to do so, but it may not be that easy.Miller took his official visit to Colorado last weekend and the Buffaloes aren't going to let him go so easilyliterally."I don't know if (Coach Mike) MacIntyre is going to let him do that," a source close to Miller told us of the possibility of Miller taking an official to Notre Dame."Last we talked, it kind of sounded like, 'If you're committed, you're not visiting anywhere else.'"Aside from making it clear they don't want him visiting other schools, the Colorado coaches also showed Miller how much he's valued in Boulder."He took his official and it pretty much solidified where he stood already with Colorado. They're giving him the opportunity to play defense and also be used on offense as well if needed. I don't know if he's even talked back to Notre Dame or not."TALKING TARGET LIST: A quick look at Notre Dame's 2017 Target List seems to suggest it's likely to widen soon.WR Jamire Calvin: The California native was impressed during his official visit to Notre Dame last week as he told our own Matt Freeman. While in South Bend, he announced a top four that included the Irish, Nebraska, Washington State and Alabama. We don't see the Crimson Tide as a legitimate contender and don't think the Cougars are in the top two. Calvin will announce at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7 and we're confident it'll be either the Irish or the Cornhuskers.WR Oliver Martin: Just getting an idea of when the Iowa product will make his announcement is difficult let alone what that announcement will be. There's been talk that, like Calvin, he'll do it at the Army Bowl, but that stage doesn't seem to jive with Martin's low-key persona. Some have told us they believe he'll do it before San Antonio while others have talked about him doing so after and potentially taking more visits next month. This still looks like a race between the Irish and the hometown Hawkeyes.WR Braylon Sanders: The Georgia native is the only member of the Target List without an offer from the Irish in hand. It seemed like an offer would be on its way when Scott Booker visited Callaway High School earlier this month and followed up with an in-home visit later that night. With Booker out, it'll be interesting to see whether there is any serious drop in communication. With the dead period here, the Irish would figure to have plenty of time to regroup and get back on Sanders if they choose to, especially since he still hasn't taken any official visits yet. If Notre Dame does decide to pursue, we'd expect Sanders to take a trip to South Bend. His current offers include schools like Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Washington State and Illinois among others.OL Foster Sarell: With a few weeks left before his announcement, the dead period couldn't come at a better time for the nation's top player. Sarell has done diligent work to dig and find out everything about his final group of schools. When it comes to Notre Dame, it's clear there are concerns, but there is also a big interest. It will be interesting to see where this recruitment is after Christmas, as Sarell heads to the US Army All-American Game. I think we might have a clearer picture of where the Irish stand, but as of now, Washington and Stanford remain the biggest threats.DL Brandon Pili: It's clear the recent offer from Notre Dame is one Pili values. Much like with Sarell, the distance factor isn't ideal for Pili, who is from Alaska. The good news for Notre Dame is that it's going to be a long flight to Los Angeles for UCLA as well. It's hard to see where Pili is at right now, as the offers are coming in and he is a bit overwhelmed. Once the dead period completes, we expect him to be able to schedule his final official visits if he sees fit. LB Antjuan Simmons: Things are going well with the four-star linebacker and one source has told Irish Sports Daily twice that they feel good about him ending up in South Bend. "He likes Notre Dame. He likes Notre Dame a lot," stated the source. Simmons did visit Arizona, but much like the West Coast kids coming to South Bend, we feel distance will likely eliminate the Cats in the end. The visit to Notre Dame next month will be a big one, as the coaches can better explain where they see him fitting as well as academics. The Michigan native wants to major in Kinesiology and Special Education, but Notre Dame would love to steer him in a better directionhello Mendoza School of Business. All in all, Notre Dame is currently in a great position and it will come down to how Simmons feels around the team and how his official visit goes. LB Rahyme Johnson: With sources telling us the Los Angeles native has locked in his fifth and final official visit to Florida next month, we're removing Johnson from our Target List. If something changes, we'll change. CB Thomas Graham: As mentioned above, we expect the California cornerback to be off the board in a matter of hours.S Evan Fields: As mentioned above, the Oklahoma native is scheduled to take an official to Notre Dame next month and has the Irish in his top four.S TreSean Smith: The Ohio native remains committed to Louisville, but despite suggestions that the pledge is only getting stronger, Smith is expected in South Bend for an official visit the weekend of Jan. 20th, as we've reported. Smith visited for the home finale against Virginia Tech last month and the Irish will get one more chance to impress him. DON'T CLOSE BOOK ON BOOK: Talk turned to Brandon Wimbush as Notre Dame's next starting quarterback on Monday quicker than it took to watch DeShone Kizer's video declaring for the NFL Draft.But Wimbush won't be the only scholarship quarterback competing during spring practice and Ian Book's personal quarterback coach doesn't think the California native should be counted out just yet."I think Ian's going to be absolutely ready to compete for the job," said Will Hewlett, Lead QB Skills Coach at The Range. "It may or may not be a foregone conclusion that Wimbush is QB1 in the spring. Assuming they give Ian the opportunity to compete, I would like to think just based on what I know about Ian, his competitiveness and skill that he would absolutely be up to the competition. Beyond that, being in a situation where he got to lead the Irish, I feel confident that that's why they recruited him because that's a very strong possibility."Obviously, Wimbush comes with a big, strong arm. He had a great high school career and is a talented quarterback no doubt, but I'd hate to overlook Ian Book right now and I don't think people should."Hewlett did acknowledge Mike Sanford's departure is probably going to be tough on Book, who just completed his freshman season with the Irish and has a bond with Sanford that goes all of the way back to the coach's days at Boise State."I know Coach Sanford as well and he's a great guy," said Hewlett. "He's a heckuva ball coach obviously with the opportunities he's continually getting. I think the reality is we all knew going in, if he was going to be there for Ian's entire career then that would be a blessing, but there was a very strong likelihood he would get an opportunity to leave. He's probably turned down a bunch that we don't even know about quite frankly. From a player's perspective, it's a big deal. It's tough. The great thing about Notre Dame is regardless of who's the coach, if you stick it out there, you get a degree from Notre Dame and you're a part of this exclusive club and network, etc. "But I don't care who you are, not one high school kid 100 percent commits to a college. You can tell kids, 'Make sure you commit to the school and not the coaches,' but coaches are at least half of the decision, they have to be if not more sometimes. Building that relationship and building that rapport is going to be really tough depending on who they bring in."It's tough having to adjust to a new coach, but that's part of the game. That's part of the equation."
ISD Intel
7 yr ago by ISD Staff
ISD Intel
Our weekly peek behind the scenes of Notre Dame Football and Irish recruiting efforts.
Notre Dame Drops in on 2017 Four-Star LB on Tuesday
7 yr ago by Matt Freeman
Notre Dame Drops in on 2017 Four-Star LB on Tuesday
Associate head coach Mike Denbrock made a stop to see a familiar name with Irish fans on Tuesday.
Next Up in OLB Recruiting
7 yr ago by Jamie Uyeyama
Next Up in OLB Recruiting
Now that ND has lost a commit where do they go next in OLB recruiting?

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(3 Total)
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National Average Rating

The National Average Rating is a proprietary formula that calculates an industry-wide aggregate rating for each recruiting prospect. The formula includes publicly listed grades, scores, ratings and rankings by national recruiting services, along with a Irish Sports Daily rating. Combining the data provides a rating for each prospect, which is then normalized to fit the Irish Sports Daily Rating 100-point scale.

The intent of this rating is to provide Irish Sports Daily readers with a comprehensive snapshot of how individual prospects rank nationally.
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Irish Sports Daily Rating

99-100: Elite national prospect (Five-star)

Considered one of the best prospects in the nation and a likely difference-maker at the collegiate level. Displays all of the physical skills to be a future All-American with potential to be an early-round NFL draft pick.

90-98: Elite state prospect (Four-star)

Considered one of the best 30-40 prospects in the state and a top 250 national prospect. Displays the physical skills to be a major early contributor at the collegiate level with high professional potential.

80-89: Quality prospect (Three-star)

Considered one of the best 100 prospects in the state and a top 500 national prospect. Displays the physical skills to develop into a contributor over the course of his college career. Has the ability to become a professional prospect over time with development.

70-79: Solid prospect (Two-star)

Considered one of the top 250 prospects in the state. Has the physical skills to be a potential contributor at a D-1 program over the course of his collegiate career with significant development. Professional potential is low.
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Staff Predictions

The predictions represent which school each staff member believes will ultimately sign the recruit, and the confidence meter represents his level of certainty in that outcome.

Example #1

If the predicted school is Notre Dame and confidence is set to “High”, then the staff member is saying “I believe that this recruit will ultimately sign with Notre Dame and I feel very certain about that.”

Example #2

If the predicted school is “Alabama” and confidence is set to “Low,” then the staff member is saying “I believe that this recruit will ultimately sign with Alabama, but I’m not very certain about that.”
 
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