Coming Home: Johnson Thrives From Texas QB Background

Kylan Johnson was forced into action heavy action during his 2016 redshirt freshman season following injuries to the linebacker corps.

Coming Home: Johnson Thrives From Texas QB Background

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 | Football, Chris Harry

At his high school in Dallas, Kylan Johnson was a standout safety then quarterback, and uses his experience at both to play linebacker for the Gators.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sophomore Kylan Johnson is three years removed from a sensational career at football factory Skyline High in Dallas. Johnson was a highly coveted safety his junior year, then flipped to offense as a senior and was a star quarterback.

In chatting with the third-year UF linebacker, he explained that he never played both sides of the ball in either season. So during a recent conversation with Johnson the scenario was put to Johnson that he never got to test his focus, stamina or next-play mentality on a sudden-change situation such as, for example, after throwing an interception.

"No," Johnson answered. "But I also never threw an interception."

Whoops. That's a fact. In guiding Skyline to a 14-1 mark, Johnson passed for 2,456 yards and 36 touchdowns without throwing a single interception his senior year. Then it was off to Florida and a permanent assignment on the defensive side.

Except he still thinks like a quarterback.

"His background as a quarterback helps him tremendously because of how he understands the game," said UF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, who's coached a few pretty decent linebackers (how 'bout Ray Lewis, Dan Morgan and Joe Beason?) that played both ways at the prep level. "He understands pass and run concepts and can see things quicker. When you play quarterback and when you play safety you have to make some very quick decisions — and he played both of them."

Magnificently, as it turned out.

And now he's headed home to play linebacker and the expectations are no different.

While so much intrigue revolves around whether Feleipe Franks, Luke Del Rio Rio or Malik Zaire will be the Florida starting quarterback, this weekend's season-opening test against Michigan will put a lot on the plate of the UF defense, as well. The 6-foot-1, 231-pound Johnson figures to be a key man in the middle for the No. 17 Gators when they kickoff the 2017 season Saturday against the 11th-ranked Wolverines in the AdvoCare Classic. The game will be played at 100,000-seat AT&T Stadium, about a 45-minute drive from Johnson's home in Dallas.

"That's 45 minutes if my parents are driving," Johnson said. "I'll get there in 25."

That ability to do things faster accelerated Johnson's development in the UF defense. He was summoned into duty as a redshirt freshman last season — along with true freshman David Reese — due to injuries to star linebackers Jarrad Davis (now a Detroit Lion) and Alex Anzalone (now a New Orleans Saint). Johnson started the final five games, totaling 39 tackles, including five for loss, to go with a sack, pass breakup, one QB hurry and a fumble recovery. He had eight tackles in UF's big road win at LSU that clinched the Southeastern Conference East Division title.

Now, while in just his second season, Johnson is one of a handful of youngsters — along with Reese, linebacker Vosean Joseph, defensive end Jabari Zuniga, safety Chauncey Gardner — expected to parlay those meaningful snaps of a year ago into veteran-like play in 2017.

The depth chart, released Tuesday morning, lists Johnson as the backup to redshirt freshman Jeremiah Moon at strong side linebacker. That's because Johnson's practice time during preseason has been limited due to a sore hamstring, but he returned to practice late last week and is on track to be full-go against a Wolverines squad that will come in looking to establish their physicality up front.

"When he was healthy last year, he played tremendously. He did things that helped us win about four or five games," Shannon said. "We were able to move him to the strong side, to the weak side and in the middle, depending on certain situations. You want guys who can do multiple things, and he's able to play all three because of his intelligence."

Johnson's football IQ correlates to his time as a quarterback — not just a good one, but an outstanding one — in high school. He was in charge of setting formations and motions, along with mastering a route tree on the offensive side of the ball.

Now, on defense, he flip-flops that knowledge and uses it as recognition.

"One I get the play called, get the D-line set, get [synched] with the secondary, I use the running back's steps to key on what the play is; whether it's power or an inside or outside run. It helps me react and play faster," said Johnson, who doubles his built-in knowledge by being a devoted studier of tape. "In the passing game, smash routes, spot-corner flats, all that stuff is simple to me. When I see one of the routes on the tree I automatically know what's coming — and also what the other receiver is doing. It's just stuff you know from having played quarterback."

Deciphering it has become second nature. Sometimes, when Johnson reads a play correctly against the UF offense during practice, he'll let the quarterback know that maybe, just maybe, it was a throw Johnson could have made. Johnson, after all, was ticketed to play QB in the Big 12 at one time.

"I like messing sometimes with Feleipe," Johnson said with a grin.

Inside info can be really helpful.

"We're a little different in how we play, but we both played on offense in high school and that has worked to our advantage," said Reese, who grew up as a QB at the youth level and played both fullback and linebacker at his Michigan high school. "I'm more of a downhill run-stopper and Kylan has great cover skills. That comes from being a safety in high school."

And a quarterback.

"He's was pretty good quarterback, too," Shannon said.

Johnson drags down Florida State All-America tailback Dalvin Cook in last season's game inTallahassee. Johnson finished his redshirt freshman season with 39 tackles, including nine for loss.

Shannon was an assistant coach at Arkansas in 2014 when he first saw Johnson play. Johnson initially committed to Kansas State, but Shannon got back in the picture after joining the UF staff during the 2015 offseason and coaxed Johnson to be a Gator on the eve of signing day.

Had he signed with Arkansas or K-State, Johnson would have been guaranteed some games in his home state Texas. Now he'll play in the home stadium of his beloved Dallas Cowboys, with maybe a couple dozen family and friends in the house.

A very, very big house, where the stakes will be very, very high against a very, very good team.

Johnson will be very, very excited. Very, very prepared.

"You want to treat it like another game, but the Florida Gators don't much come to the state of Texas," he said. "I'm going to just try and be myself, help the team, react and whatever happens happens. It's going to be … ."

He shook his head. Then came a little grin.

"I just can't wait to get out there."