[Spartan Pride]

8. **** Johnny Adams (5-11, 170, CB/WR, Akron Buchtel)
John Adams KR/PR
Akron Buchtel 2008

2006 Highlights
Offer W. Virginia, Pitt, Mich. State.
It was a tumultuous offseason for Buchtel as head coach Claude Brown was replaced by former Buchtel star running back Rickey Powers. It is tough on a new coach to get up to speed with recruiting and Adams disappeared from the recruiting radar for awhile.
After coach Powers got himself acclimated, we saw the explosive Adams get back in the game. He was offered by Michigan State and right before the season started Adams gave a verbal to new Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio.
I don’t know what Dantonio’s new staff has in mind for Adams but Brown thought Adams was a corner. I was always of the mind that a player with this kind of explosive, game breaking ability should have the ball in his hands as much as possible. I would play him at wide receiver.
This year, I see Adams was on the field for Buchtel as a safety because of his ball skills – put him in the middle of the field and let him make plays on the ball – that is where he is at his best.
The one thing we know for sure is the Spartans have themselves a punt returner. Adams is one of those players that is good enough to be offered just as a return man. Brown used to compare him to Ted Ginn, Jr and I think as a punt returner he could be in Ginn’s class. Electrifying is the word I would use to describe Adams.
The other comparison I would make with Ginn is that he is not big enough to play cornerback at the college level. Couple that with the game breaking skills and underrated hands and I see him as a wide receiver in college, but as I said earlier, I don’t know what Dantonio has in mind for Adams. He is trying to rebuild the Michigan State program so he might be pressed to put a game changer like Adams on defense.

Scouting Ohio -John Adams