Safety or RB? It Doesn't Matter to Stafon Johnson

Whether playing offense or defense, running back/safety Stafon Johnson of Dorsey High School in Los Angeles just wants to be on the field. With offers from big-time college football programs all over the country, will anyone be able to lure him away from Southern California? GoBlueWolverine Magazine spoke recently with Johnson to find out.

Claiming more offers than he can count, including Michigan, running back/safety Stafon Johnson lists a top five of USC, Cal, Tennessee, Miami, and Florida. Does any one stand out? "USC would have to be my favorite," Johnson said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not open to looking at other schools. I'll be going to the USC camp at the end of June."

Are the Wolverines in the mix? "I like Michigan a lot," he said. "Coach (Ron English) is a great guy and Michigan has a history of having great running backs." As a junior, the 6-foot-0, 195-pound Johnson racked up 1,879 yards on 209 carries and scored 18 touchdowns. "I played two games on defense last season," he said. "I had 18 tackles and three interceptions,"

Right now he is in the middle of track season, where he runs the 100-meters, the 4X401 and 4X400. "My best time in the 100 is 10.81," he said. "I'm the third leg on the relay teams."

Dorsey is home to some major Division 1-A talent this season. Along with Stafon Johnson, linebacker Mark Johnson has also been offered by Michigan. Offensive guard Jovon Hayes claims an offer from the Wolverines as well. Do these three talk about going to school together? "We talk about it, but each one of us is going to do what's best for us," Stafon said.

Looking for a career in the motion picture industry, Johnson said he wants to major in music engineering. He reports a 2.9 grade-point-average along with a 890 on the SAT, which he said he plans to retake.

Ed. note: Where Johnson is somewhat of a longshot for Michigan, remember that he said to Scout.com's Jamie Newburg this week: “Michigan is another school with great running back tradition. That’s a school that loves to run the football. If I have to pick a school that I could see myself playing at Michigan would be one of them. I mean all the schools I have mentioned I could see myself playing there.”