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Nah Johnson was once recruited by OSU and coach Carmichael in high school, but it took another four seasons for her to arrive in Stillwater.

Nah Johnson was once recruited by OSU and coach Carmichael in high school, but it took another four seasons for her to arrive in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State was at the top of the list for Niah Johnson coming out of high school.

But instead of Stillwater, she landed in Starkville, Mississippi, with Mississippi State. Johnson and Cowgirls coach Colin Carmichael have different stories of why she didn’t end up at OSU as a freshman.

She attended a camp, where Carmichael saw her named MVP, and there was interest from both parties. They both agree on that.  

After that, the stories vary.

“Colin comes to me after and he's like, ‘You did so well, but we don't think you're tough enough,’ Johnson, now a fifth-year senior midfielder in her first season at OSU, said. “And I was like, ‘Dang it.’”

She said Carmichael told her the scholarship money for that recruiting period was used up and they didn’t have anything to offer. So, maybe it wasn’t because of her toughness. But she definitely remembered hearing that.

“I don't remember saying she’s not tough enough,” Carmichael said. “I do remember recruiting Niah. It was late in the process. I don't think we had the finances available for Niah. That's my version of it anyway.”

Regardless of what was actually said in that conversation, Johnson took it to heart and used it as fuel. It didn’t feel nice thinking she wasn’t ready for the school she wanted. She didn’t want anyone else to think that, either.

When she arrived at Mississippi State as a freshman, it was her goal to show she belonged. Gabriella Coleman, a sophomore forward at the time who later transferred to OSU, said Johnson worked tirelessly and passed every test she was given.

“When she came in, she really showed that she can hang with some of us,” Coleman said. “There was no, like, her being soft. She put in the work, she did show she was tough enough.”

After Johnson’s first season at MSU, Coleman transferred to OSU. Coleman, like Johnson, loved what she saw in Stillwater.

Johnson spent the next three years with the Bulldogs, where she started 55 matches and played in every minute of the 2021 season. Her toughness and ability was unquestioned, and she morphed into a leader on those teams.

After four years in Starkville, Johnson was ready for a move, and she knew exactly where she wanted to go next. She followed OSU during her time in the SEC, as her former Bulldog teammate played for the Cowgirls, and Dallas club soccer teammate Olyvia Dowell also played in Neal Patterson Stadium.

The interest between Johnson and OSU was mutual.

“When I saw her in the portal, I called her immediately,” Carmichael said. “I was sold from the minute she went into portal.”

Carmichael knew Johnson hadn’t been satisfied playing the center back position at MSU, and he told her she had an opportunity to play center midfielder, her preferred position, if she came to his program.

Johnson called Coleman, who made the same transition she was considering. She asked about the differences between Starkville and Stillwater, what the system was like, the team mentality.

“They don’t joke around,” Coleman told her. “They’re gonna be serious with you and very straightforward. Colin doesn’t play favorites.”

Johnson already knew Colin was serious and up-front. She respected him for being honest when she was looking for a home after high school. She liked what she saw, and the move felt like a no-brainer. She visited campus and committed the same day.

But she called out Carmichael when he was giving her his pitch to come to OSU.

“The first thing he says when he calls me about Oklahoma State, and he talks about my film and he's like, ‘You're the toughest player I've ever seen,’” Johnson said. “And I'm like, ‘Do you remember like four years ago you told me I wasn't tough enough?’ And that has just been a joke.”

Carmichael still doesn’t recall it the same way, though it seemed to resonate with her and make her a better player.

“If I said that, I apologize to Niah, she's a tough kid now,” Carmichael said, while laughing. “I'm really glad she's on my team.”

Now, half a decade after their first talk, Carmichael sings Johnson’s praises. Toughness only comes up in a joking manner. She’s finally where both she and Carmichael originally wanted her and having the instant impact she hoped.

“I wanted to come and play,” Johnson said. “That's the whole point of transferring. I want to come, and I want to make an impact. So, hearing him say that was like, ‘This is amazing,’ because this is a whole 180 from what happened in high school. I was just excited.”