At my age, it's worth noting. I've liked this kid from the first time I saw film on him. Then my man-love overcame me when I thought about him running Malzahn's system. He may not win the starting position right off the bat, but I'll lay odds he's there sooner than later. And you have to love the attitude.
copyin' man-love pasta al.com
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The first time Gus Malzahn ever laid eyes on Jeremy Johnson, he knew the kid had something special. Back then, Johnson was only a ninth grader making trips to Auburn for camps, but the size, the athleticism, the talent he had at quarterback was already obvious. "He had a strong arm, a live arm, he could already make all the throws," Malzahn told the greater Birmingham Auburn Club on Tuesday. "You could already tell what kind of person he was, and you could see the athleticism."
Now, four years later, Johnson's only a few months away from playing for Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee at Auburn after signing with the Tigers on National Signing Day. When Malzahn arrived on campus, the Carver-Montgomery product was still committed to Auburn, but a few other schools, including Ole Miss, wanted to make a play for the quarterback's services after the coaching change. Malzahn and Lashlee responded by making Johnson a top priority in the 2013 signing class.
"I'm telling you, Jeremy was the rock of our class," Lashlee told the Montgomery Quarterback Club on Tuesday night, the same night Malzahn was speaking in Birmingham. "For someone like him to commit and stay committed through all the ups and downs of his process was incredible."
Auburn signed three quarterbacks in the 2013 class -- Johnson, junior college transfer Nick Marshall and McGill-Toolen athlete Jason Smith. With that many quarterbacks being targeted, plus Kiehl Frazier and Jonathan Wallace already on campus, some top-flight recruits might have balked. Not Johnson. Throughout the process, he was talking to Auburn's coaching staff, and he knew the other two, Marshall in particular, were targets for the Tigers. Johnson never wavered.
"No, it didn't give me pause," Johnson said. "I’m looking forward to competing, I’ve been doing it all my life." For the moment, Johnson, a gifted basketball player, is focused on helping Carver repeat as state champions on the court, but the start of his Auburn career is only a few months away.
He already has a plan. Once the basketball season is done, Johnson plans to take a few weeks to let his body rest -- according to Johnson, he's been working nonstop for the better part of four years -- before adding muscle to his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. After he graduates, Johnson plans to enroll in the summer. And he wants to be ready. "I'll be back in the weight room, running, sprinting, get myself big before I get to college," Johnson said. "I want to be 220-225, so when I get there by the time the season starts, I’ll be 235-240. I’m looking forward to being big and a monster on the field."
A three-year starter, Johnson is coming off of a season in which he completed 198-of-293 passes for 3,193 yards and 31 touchdowns, added 705 yards and seven scores on the ground and earned Alabama's Mr. Football award. "He's a born leader," Carver assistant football coach Lee Carter said. "He's one of the first guys in the weight room, he's one of the last guys to leave."
His skill set, Malzahn believes, is off the charts. While showing video of Johnson's senior season at Carver to the fans assembled in Birmingham, Malzahn highlighted his new quarterback's gifts, saying Johnson had everything from arm strength to the ability to pull it down and run. "He throws a great deep ball, and you know, that's one thing you can't teach a quarterback," Malzahn said. "Most guys either have it or they don't. He's also got a pretty quick release, and that's another thing you look for in a quarterback."
In a wide-open competition this fall, Johnson's natural gifts have to mesh with an understanding of Malzahn's offense and what he wants the youngster to do. Obviously, Auburn targeted several players at the position, and Johnson may not earn the job right away. All he wants is a chance.
"I’m looking forward to competing for the job, no doubt," Johnson said. "I was told if you’re ready, you'll go out there. If you’re not, then we’ll just go throw you in there every now and then and see how you do."
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