It's only been a few weeks since Under Armour All-American Sheldon quarterback Michael Johnson Jr. cut his list to a top seven, but he's already making a few changes.

Early this month, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound signal-caller, who is rated the nation's No. 4 dual-threat quarterback, trimmed his list to Arizona State, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, North Carolina State, Oregon and Penn State.

But since that time, the Oregon Ducks have added fellow Elite 11 finalist Cale Millen and the two have elected to part ways.

"No one from Oregon has really talked to me since Cale Millen committed," Johnson said. "We've both stopped communicating. It doesn't look like I'm going to end up there. I respect the program, but I think we both see a better fit for me somewhere else."

That decision follows a strong sentiment from Johnson to carve his own path, rather than joining his father, wide receiver coach Michael Johnson, at Oregon.

"I'd say me wanting to be my own person is a big part," he said. "I want to experience life and branch out. Everything my dad has taught me at this point has put me in a really good position to do so."

Sliding into the mix are a pair of perennial top-25 programs, Florida State and Texas A&M.

Perhaps surprising to some given his family ties to the Ducks, Johnson is also hoping to build a relationship with the Oregon State Beavers, who have a strong connection with the Johnson family.

"I've been trying to get in contact with Oregon State," he said. "That's a school that I would take a visit to. I'd be interested in that. Mike Riley has known me since I was born. I was born in Corvallis when my dad was (working for him). He coached my dad in the World League in the 90's. He was my dad's coach, my dad coached for him, and coach (Brian) Lindgren is a guy I've always liked - even when he was at Colorado I was really high on them."

Johnson, an Under Armour All-American and Elite 11 finalist, is hoping to make a decision by early summer.

Expect the Beavers, not the Ducks, to be the in-state program he considers going forward.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec