Ty Johnson's recruitment: Arizona, Kentucky, UCLA make final cut

Areas to Develop:

• Route Tree Detail: Can continue refining separation mechanics in short/intermediate windows
• Top-End Burst: More build-up speed than sudden accelerator—adding that next gear elevates his ceiling

**Football DNA:**Competitive. Assignment-sound. Comfortable playing through contact. Projects as a player who embraces physical matchups rather than avoiding them.

THE FINALISTS: THREE SCHEMES, THREE VISIONS

Each of the three programs in Johnson’s final group presents a different developmental pathway — and that’s where this recruitment sharpens into a true fit conversation.

At UCLA , the hometown angle is real, but it’s not the only factor driving momentum. UCLA has been consistent and early in its approach, building familiarity that matters at this stage. More importantly, their offensive structure offers a clear runway for integration, where Johnson’s size and ball skills can translate quickly within a system that values spacing and timing.

With Kentucky , the pitch leans into physical development and long-term projection. This is an SEC-minded evaluation centered on what Johnson can become. His frame fits the league, and Kentucky is selling a transformation arc — taking a high-upside perimeter target and molding him into a pro-ready weapon. His June 12 official visit becomes a critical checkpoint in that vision.

Meanwhile, Arizona has remained one of the most consistent presences throughout the process. Their offensive identity emphasizes playmakers in space, and Johnson profiles cleanly as a vertical stressor who can stretch the field and create explosive moments. The fit here is about utilization — putting him in positions to maximize his downfield impact.

Johnson enters this phase ranked No. 39 wide receiver nationally and No. 28 in California per the 247 Sports Ranking—but those numbers read more like a baseline than a ceiling.

This is a traits-based evaluation, and those are the prospects that tend to rise over time. Johnson isn’t a finished product, and that’s exactly why these programs are pushing. The frame, the catch radius, the two-way instincts — those are foundational traits you build around, not search for.

What comes next is about alignment. Development. Deployment. Maximizing what’s already there while sharpening the details that separate good from difference-makers.

Three programs. Three distinct blueprints.

Now it comes down to which staff sees Ty Johnson not just as a wide receiver but as a system piece capable of shifting matchups and changing Saturdays.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football makes final three for 2027 WR Ty Johnson