Leading by 10 over the Utah Utes in the second quarter of the 2019 Pac-12 Championship Game, the Ducks moved methodically down the field in hopes of adding a cushion to a comfortable, yet far too early, lead.
Taking the snap at the Utah 45-yard line, Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert took a seven-step drop back before ripping an arching deep ball over the hashes on the right side. Junior wideout Johnny Johnson III came streaking down the sideline, turning the Utah defensive back inside out and high pointing the ball before scoring safely, placing an exclamation point on a dominant first half performance.
It was a defining moment — an explosive play in a career that, until 2019, had a dearth of them.
The Ducks went on to claim the 2019 conference title 37-15 and won the Rose Bowl over No. 8 Wisconsin in their next bout, bringing an end to a historic 2019 campaign. Johnson III was crucial throughout, finishing the season with a career-high seven touchdowns.
The COVID-19-marred 2020 season meant more than a shortened schedule. For senior players like Johnson III, it meant fewer opportunities to boost their draft stock and accumulate game footage. It meant fewer chances to lead and give guidance to the underclassmen as well.
With an additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, Johnson III looks to capitalize and do what he couldn’t last season, both for himself and his teammates.
Johnson III’s push to the next level
Following his 2019 takeoff, Johnson III, like most of his teammates, saw decreases in key statistics in 2020 –– due in major part to the chaotic nature of the Pac-12’s grapple with the pandemic.
The Arizona native caught passes in only five of the Ducks’ eight games last season, finishing the year with just two touchdowns.
This season, Johnson III looks to pick up where he left off two seasons ago and bring his game to the next level in coordinator Joe Moorhead’s offensive system.
“I’m here to work,” Johnson III said. “Finish school and get to the league, so that’s what I’m mostly focused on.”
Throughout fall camp and the lead-up to the 2021 season, Johnson III took particular measures to polish the finer aspects of his game.
“I’m just mastering everything in my craft,” Johnson III told reporters during fall camp. “Whether it’s releases, making contested catches, I’m just playing my best ball every day.”
Johnson III’s made his versatility a particular point of emphasis. And while he’s been known to break for deep plays on the perimeter, the super senior can play anywhere in the offense, from out wide to the slot.
“I’ll play whatever, I’ll play any of them [positions],” Johnson III said. “Whatever position they put me in to help this team is what I’m going to do.”
This season, the Oregon offense had an entire offseason to prepare for the upcoming season — a luxury they missed greatly last year.
An all-important leadership role
The Oregon receiver room is more competitive than ever. Johnson III, along with returners Jaylon Redd, Devon Williams and Mycah Pittman, welcomed in several new and talented players this year, including four-stars Troy Franklin, Isaiah Brevard and Donte Thornton.
“If you look at the past national championship teams, they’ve all had great receivers and a great receiver core, so us competing and us fighting for jobs is going to do nothing but make us better,” Johnson III said. “And that’s going to continue in the game of football at the next level, whether it’s here or high school or the NFL.”
With the influx of young talent, Johnson III and the veterans have taken on significant leadership roles this season. If not for the extra season, Johnson III wouldn’t have had the chance to influence the next generation of Oregon receivers the way he has.
As they’ve made the leap from high school to college, Franklin and Thornton have both expressed the value of having more experienced guys in the locker room.
“There’s multiple guys,” Franklin said. “We’ve got Johnny Johnson [III], Devon Williams, Josh Delgado. We’ve got a lot of guys that help.”
Franklin and Thornton both joined the program as early enrollees during the spring, and their extra time with the veterans has sped up the overall adjustment to college ball in a big way.
“I would say all of them [upperclassmen] really help me a lot,” Thornton said. “But if I had to pick, I would say either Devon Williams or Johnny Johnson [III]… Before I got here, I had a great relationship with them, so the moment I got here it was easy for me to connect with them. So whenever I needed help with a play, I could easily just ask them to tell me what I need to do and then I follow in their footsteps.”
Johnson III provides more than on-the-field skill. He serves a crucial leadership role in the development of younger talent as well. And, in his final year, he takes on both roles with equal purpose.
