Although his confidence and energy are tremendous, Johnson may still not agree with that title. The redshirt junior tight end made a minimal impact at Louisville before appearing in the second half of the season for the Ducks. He finished with 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns for the Ducks, nearly tying Sadiq in yards (560) with nearly 20 fewer receptions (51).
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Now, as a starter and leader of a young position, Johnson wants to make his mark in his second season at Oregon.
“I feel like I have something to prove,” Johnson said in his first media availability after Oregon’s second spring scrimmage. “You know, for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. So I feel like this year is the year to show everyone what I am.”
Johnson might be underestimating his value a bit. In the College Football Playoff, he became a security blanket for Dante Moore, making nine receptions and scoring two touchdowns in the Ducks’ three games against James Madison, Texas Tech and Indiana.
The Ducks welcomed Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh and true freshman Kendre Harrison to the tight end room this spring, as well as Markus Dixon, who transferred to Eugene in the offseason and is making the full-time switch back to tight end after playing defensive end at Clemson.
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After earning All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, Johnson is the Ducks’ only returning contributor at tight end. It’s a role he’s ready for and one Dan Lanning has seen firsthand this spring. Still, there is some pressure to not only coach the newest Ducks in the pond, but to replace the biggest of them all in Sadiq, who is expected to become a first-round pick in the NFL Draft in less than a week.
“Obviously, with Kenyon leaving, someone has to step up and be a leader in the room,” Johnson said. “Because I’m one of the older guys, it just happens to be me, and I just accepted that role. And I like to get these young guys going, get them in the playbook and just get them used to college football. So it’s been fun.”
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Oregon’s offense, but Johnson’s big frame and ability to get open and get through defenders could make him one of Moore’s top targets. While many NFL scouts watched Sadiq, some said Johnson stood out as potentially the best overall player.
Johnson is expected to be on the NFL Draft radar this fall, but his focus remains on Eugene. Not only to help the Ducks win a national championship, but also to hone his craft and prove to himself that he is worthy of such high praise.
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“I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL,” Johnson said. “That’s pretty much what I’m talking about. I have a lot of things to work on. Footwork and hand placement, blocking in the run game and rough details to get to the right depth, just tweaking everything I can. So when I get to the NFL, there won’t be any of those problems, those little problems. It’s just the big problems that I have to solve.”
Johnson turned down the NFL in the offseason to make his mark in college football. The Ducks have earned a reputation for developing tight ends in recent years, which means the best days could still be ahead for the 6-foot-5 star. Johnson will be able to get loose next Saturday in the team’s spring game, previewing what could be in store for the Ducks in the fall.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Jamari Johnson hopes to make his mark in his second season at Oregon