Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson's presence at SEC Media Days speaks volumes
HOOVER, Ala. — Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson was measured in his words Monday, when he spoke at SEC Media Days. Though he proclaimed himself confident and "comfortable" during a barrage of interviews — it might have been the navy three-piece suit accented by an orange bow tie — he didn't say anything to set Twitter ablaze. But then, he didn't have to.
His mere presence was the most emphatic statement anyone from Auburn could have made.
Though no one would come right out and admit it, the takeaway is clear: In Gus Malzahn's eyes, the building hype over Johnson — and what the first-year starter at quarterback might mean to Auburn's SEC and College Football Playoff hopes — is justified.
College football coaches are notoriously guarded about which players they allow to represent the team at public settings like media days. This week, only five of 14 SEC teams plan to bring a quarterback. All are returning starters.
Except for Johnson.
"I believe he will do everything he can to make us as good as we can be," Malzahn said. "We have a lot of confidence in him."
Although Johnson has started only two games, spending most of the last two seasons backing up Nick Marshall, Auburn insiders have been buzzing about his potential since he arrived. In 13 games over two seasons, he has completed 73.1 percent of his passes. Because of his 6-5, 235-pound build, the easy comparison is to Cam Newton. And in the only hint of anything beyond confidence Monday, Johnson deflected the idea.
"Cam is Cam," he said, "and I'm me. … We're different people. We've got different talents."
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At least at this point, the comparison is as unfair as it is inevitable. But Malzahn doesn't run from it. What's different, he said, is that Johnson, who is beginning his third year in the system, "has more experience running our offense. Cam was just (at Auburn) for a spring and a fall."
A year ago, when Marshall didn't start the season opener against Arkansas after an offseason marijuana citation, Johnson played the entire first half. He was 12-of-16 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, completing his first eight attempts.
"We thought we knew what we had," Malzahn said, "but until you actually see a guy in the moment — from a coach's standpoint, it just confirmed what we thought. The way he prepared, he knew he was gonna start the game, all the pressures that go with that, an SEC (opponent), playing at home, he performed like a champ. He couldn't have played much better."
And then he didn't play much more. Marshall returned for the second half. Johnson returned to the sidelines for the rest of the season.
For a guy who arrived at Auburn with high expectations, it wasn't easy. Johnson, who was named Alabama's Mr. Football his senior season at Montgomery's Carver High School, competed for the starting job as a true freshman in 2013. But when Marshall, a junior-college transfer, won it instead and led the Tigers to the BCS national championship game, the course was also set for the 2014 season. Johnson said waiting his turn was difficult.
"It made me realize there's more than football in the world," he said. "It made me humble. It made me a better teammate."
It helped that Johnson and Marshall developed a close friendship. Even so, Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said he saw the strain on Johnson. Lashlee said he could have been successful as the Tigers' starter by the middle of his freshman season. It wasn't easy on anybody, he said, to pull Johnson at halftime against Arkansas last season.
"At the end of the day, we stayed true to what we were," Lashlee said. "Nick was our starter and our leader. But you could see (it was hard on Johnson). But he was the first guy on the sidelines, up cheering Nick on. That's the way he was all year. He's handled a really tough situation."
And now that it's finally Johnson's turn, the expectations are growing. Although Auburn returns only four offensive starters, the Tigers are a trendy pick to win the SEC West. Part of that is because of the addition of former Florida coach Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator and the return of pass-rusher Carl Lawson to the lineup after missing last season to injury. But some of it is the new quarterback — and some of the hype is outsized.
The betting web site Bovada has listed 10-1 odds for Johnson to win the Heisman Trophy, just behind TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, even with Georgia running back Nick Chubb and ahead of quarterbacks Dak Prescott from Mississippi State and Cody Kessler from USC. Asked Monday about the expectations, Johnson essentially shrugged and spouted a succession of clichés that would have warmed any coach's heart.
"I'm here to play football," Johnson said. "I don't feel any pressure at all. All I can do is just control what I can control, and that's getting better each and every game and let the individual accolades come with winning. If you don't win, you don't get any of those."
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Auburn's offense might morph some with Johnson, away from the spread option and toward more passing. Although he says he can run, he also noted that unlike Marshall, who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2013 and almost 800 in 2014, he's "a north-and-south runner" who "can't run east and west."
"He can flat-out throw it," Malzahn said. "He can make every throw that you ask him to, but he's a better runner than people think."
Malzahn also calls Johnson "an extension of the coaches." His highest praise, though, comes in one line:
"He's a guy you can count on."
The Tigers are clearly counting on Johnson to deliver on high expectations. On Monday, at least, everyone seemed comfortable with the idea.
"It's been a great blessing to be here," Johnson said. "It goes to show the coaches and players have great confidence in me. I'm blessed."
The Tigers think they might be blessed to have Johnson stepping in at quarterback. Which is why stepping in front of the microphones on Monday was a statement, but not a big deal.
"Jeremy has a lot of hype, but he knows there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it," Lashlee said. "He has high expectations. If you can't handle media days, how are you gonna handle third-and-long on the road in the SEC?"