It’s been a long two years for Jeremy Johnson.
The No. 5 overall quarterback in the class of 2013, according to Rivals.com, Johnson has spent the majority of the last two seasons watching from the sideline as the Nick Marshall-led Tigers raced to SEC and BCS Championship Games.
But now Marshall is gone, and as spring practice begins this week, there’s no bigger favorite for the job than the “matured” Johnson.
“God has a plan for everybody, and his plan for me was to sit out,” Johnson said. “Now that my team is here, I’m looking to win the starting job and be the man.”
Coach Gus Malzahn has long said Johnson could have started for other Division I schools, but said his experiences as a backup will pay dividends.
“It’s very valuable, the fact that he’s been in our program for two years,” Malzahn said. “He ran a very similar offense in high school, so he understands everything that goes with it. He got a lot of practice reps the last two seasons. We have a lot of confidence in Jeremy, but he’s going to have to go out there and win the starting job.”
Johnson isn’t the only new face on the Tiger offense.
With the departures of starters such as Cameron Artis-Payne, Sammie Coates, C.J. Uzomah and three offensive lineman, Johnson said it is vital to build chemistry with the new faces.
“My specific goal for the spring is to win the starting job and become a leader on this team,” Johnson said. “I want to build the chemistry with this team. It’s a new team.”
Johnson said he feels comfortable in a leadership role and hopes he can lead this season.
“If I say to move right, then everybody is going to move right,” Johnson said. “That’s the type of leader I’m trying to become for this team.”
While turnover will be widespread, the return of wide receiver D’haquille Williams gives Johnson a target with whom he’s already built chemistry.
“It really wasn’t a big surprise to me because me and him had already talked about it,” Johnson said. “It was just a matter of him making his own decision.”
It won’t be easy stepping into the limelight as the face of a top SEC program, but Johnson said he’s comfortable with the pressure as he strives to win a national championship.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but you know you can’t post or say certain things because your image is different from somebody else’s,” Johnson said.
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