The affinity for the Sun Devils grew stronger month by month for the Pomona (Calif.) Diamond Ranch High School defensive lineman, and on Thursday night while the coaches from that school were in his home for a visit, Amiri Johnson publicly announced his pledge to Arizona State.

“There were many things I observed over these last few months leading up to this,” Johnson told Devils Digest ahead of his decision. “I guess a huge thing was the passion for the game that the coaches had displayed, and their passion to mold their players into honorable men that can do great things in this world was just as great. That’s what I loved the most about the school.

“Coach Nua and coach Pierce were recruiting me the most, but I love the whole staff there and they really felt like family on my visit. Coach Nua is a great person, he has children of his own and is someone I know I can look up to and model my life after his. He’s been a very successful coach, he’s been to the NFL, and on the field, he shows you how much knowledge he has and that’s basically at your disposal to use. He’s just a great person and a great coach.

Johnson was a key player for the 7-4 Panthers, notching 35 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and two quarterback hurries as a senior. He is viewed as a defensive end in ASU’s scheme but may be versatile enough to play an interior lineman as well.

In a previous interview, the lineman discussed how has improved from his junior campaign.

“My pass rush skills are better than they were last year,” Johnson remarked. “I worked a lot in the summer on my get off and hand usage. That’s something I emphasized all summer and I knew it was a huge thing I needed to improve on. Now I’m reaping the benefits of that. I got stronger and I can stand up better to the interior linemen and make plays in the backfield.”

“I think I’m a truly versatile player,” Johnson commented, “and that’s something I truly love working on. So, I feel that I can play in different spots along the line. We talked about me even playing a little standing up. So, this is a system I truly think I could thrive in.”

The lineman was heavily considering Utah and Boise State in recent weeks. He also had m offers from Fresno State and Oregon State.

Johnson is ASU’s 21st known commitment of the 2019 class and the seventh pledge from the state of California. He’s scheduled to sign on the 19th of this month and arrive on campus in the summer of 2019.