Oaks Christian RB @johnnythompsonjr Is Now on the Recruiting Radar
After spending most of his sophomore season at Oaks Christian HS in the defensive secondary, 2023 prospect Johnny Thompson has burst onto the scene as one of the top emerging running backs in his class.
Thompson had a slow start to the 2021 fall season as Oaks Christian played one of the most difficult schedules in the state. The Lions lost their first five games of the season to likes of teams like national power Valor Christian from Colorado.
Nonetheless, Thompson has been making a name for himself in the Lions backfield. He is Oaks Christian’s leading rusher with 471 yards on 92 carries. The Lions have won their last two games beating Birmingham 44-0 and Camarillo 35-14.
Against Birmingham, Thompson had his best game of the season. He only carried the ball nine times, but he went off for 144 yards and one touchdown. The 69-yard TD gave Thompson five rushing touchdowns on the season.
First Offer
Thompson was a prospect but had not received any offers until just last week. After his performances against Birmingham and Camarillo (13 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD), Thompson picked up his first offer. It just happened to be from his dream school.
Growing up in southern California, Thompson has always been enamored with USC. He had actually already attended a game this fall and it felt like home. Thompson won’t be making any decisions soon, but USC is certainly a front-runner in Thompson’s recruiting process.
Scouting Report
After playing in the secondary primarily as a sophomore, Thompson became the Lions go-to running back this fall. He is listed at 5-feet-11-inches tall but may be closer to 6-feet. Thompson is a very solidly built 190 pounds and definitely has the room to add weight to his frame.
He has tremendous burst and when he breaks into the second level Thompson has the type of speed that gives him the ability to run away from most anyone. He is physical runner inside the tackles and he shows the speed to get outside and run away from defenders.
He’s also a talented receiver out of the backfield. Thompson has 13 receptions for 137 yards so far this season. He is gifted with the ball after the catch and is a threat as a receiver on every snap. You can see his abilities in his mid-season highlight tape below.
Thompson continues to play some defense too. He has 10 tackles along with one interception and one pass break up this season. For now, the junior will concentrate on his offensive skills in the backfield.
There will undoubtedly be many more offers to come down the pipeline. Thompson has all the measurables as well as the documented skills and abilities of a Power 5 recruit. The USC offer is just the beginning.
Thompson has heard from other Pac-12 schools like Oregon State and Washington. It’s likely that he will also hear from other schools across the country as word of his first offer spreads.
