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Jafonta Johnson has officially signed his National Letter of Intent with Villanova, the school announced this morning. The 6'4" 235 lb. Henninger (NY) defensive end originally committed to Villanova late January, at the time becoming the thirteenth verbal in Villanova's 2015 class.
Johnson recorded 12.5 sacks in his senior season to earn 2nd-Team All-State honors. He held offers from Buffalo, Maine and New Hampshire before committing to Villanova. That's an impressive list of offers and marks one of the bigger recruiting victories for Villanova in this cycle.
Depth Chart (* denotes walk-on)
| Class | Name | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Reggie Paris | 6'3" | 248 lbs. |
| Junior | Tanoh Kpassagnon | 6'7" | 265 lbs. |
| Senior | Noble Ajakaiye | 6'0" | 255 lbs. |
| Sophomore | Eric Drains | 6'4" | 309 lbs. |
| (RS) Sophomore | Mike Williams | 6'4" | 280 lbs. |
| (RS) Sophomore | Thomas Plonski | 6'5" | 250 lbs. |
| Freshman | Jafonta Johnson | 6'4" | 235 lbs. |
| Freshman | Datrell Reed | 6'3" | 225 lbs. |
Defensive end is actually one of the deeper positions on the roster, and becomes even deeper if you consider Ricky Young and Austin Calitro in the mix on the outside. Kpassagnon and Paris should retain their starting spots while Ajakaiye, Drains and Williams all saw extended minutes last season. Johnson could see some playing time as a pass-rushing specialist but more likely will use his freshmen season to bulk up.
Welcome Jafonta to 'Nova Nation!