Downey wide receiver Johnson a top prospect in the Class of 2018

Downey High School wide receiver Isaiah Johnson is one of the top sophomores in California, according to a Power Five program.

Coach Jeremy Plaa said a Pacific-12 Conference school has requested transcripts and film on Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound playmaker.

College coaches aren’t permitted to speak to sophomore recruits, but they can begin to build a profile.

In Johnson, Plaa said the Pac-12 school has identified one of the top wide receivers in the Class of 2018.

“They look at the metrics – a player’s height, speed and strength. Then, they look at film,” Plaa said, “and I think that’s where they’re at right now with Isaiah.”

Johnson’s stock is on the rise. He was one of only a few sophomores invited to Nike’s “The Opening” regional combine at De Anza High School on May 22. Johnson will make the trip with Downey quarterback Brett Neves and wide receiver Calvin Grover, both juniors.

“The top two things recruiters are looking for are things that can’t be coached – length, in terms of height, and speed,” Plaa said. “The better the combination a kid has, the more likely they are to get serious interest from a college.

“Isaiah has both. He’s also extremely strong, and his vertical – his ability to jump up and out – they’re all good numbers.”

His stats aren’t bad, either. Johnson showed promise following a mid-season call-up to varsity. Johnson had 22 catches for 433 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.

Johnson scored on his first catch, a 42-yard connection with Neves in a 61-50 victory over McNair. Johnson found the end zone in four of his first five games and had his best performance in a 48-30 victory over Johansen with four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

“He was a big puppy last year. We wanted to bring him along slowly,” Plaa said. “He has all the tools to be a great wide receiver. The one thing he struggled with last season was his confidence. He was a sophomore playing at the varsity level. You could see his confidence grow, and by the end of the season, it was really high.”

Downey (8-3) averaged 43.8 points per game and carved up defenses with one of the section’s most prolific pass attacks. The Knights threw for 3,519 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Five of the six principal members are back: Neves (2,998 yards, 28 touchdowns), who completed 62 percent of his passes; Grover (773 yards), who can dominate the middle of the field; Trevor Farris (591 yards, seven TDs), a vertical threat who will play opposite Johnson; running back Malcome Greene (5.3 yards per carry), whose junior season was slowed by injury; and Johnson.

“This group can be as good as any we’ve had,” said Plaa, whose program has won at least seven games in five consecutive years. “On the flip side, the defense could be as good as we’ve ever had, too.

“Putting it all together, we have to make sure we have a business-like attitude. We have talent, but we have to execute and practice control. But from a pure talent standpoint, it looks like it could be a fun season for us.”

Downey will showcase its vaunted aerial attack against marquee large-school programs in the southern half of the Sac-Joaquin Section. The Knights will open the season Aug. 26 at Pitman and then host Patterson the following week. The Tigers are the defending Western Athletic Conference champion and one of three Stanislaus District teams to finish the 2015 regular season unbeaten.

Downey will host Tokay on Sept. 9 and then conclude the nonleague portion of its schedule at Lincoln of Stockton.

The four-time defending MMC champion Knights begin their title defense against Davis on Sept. 23 at Chuck Hughes Stadium.

“We’ve learned that playing teams that aren’t going to give us much of a challenge out of league isn’t going to make us any better,” Plaa said. “We went out and found the four best teams we could face.”

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Downey wide receiver Johnson a top prospect in the Class of 2018."