Every summer, The Manning Passing Academy, an annual 4-day football camp takes place at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded by Archie Manning in 1996, and currently led by brothers Peyton, Eli, and Cooper Manning, the academy brings the best college and high school passers the opportunity to learn from hall of famers in a small group setting. This years camp kicked off on Thursday, and Aggies QB Max Johnson will be in attendance.
Although the clinic focuses on every offensive skill position (Quarterback, Running back, Wide receiver, Tight end), the Quarterback position is placed at a premium, with 45 in attendance this year, including 12 from the SEC, such as Bryce Young (Alabama), Will Levis (Kentucky), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), Stetson Bennett (Georgia) and more ,in addition to Johnson,.
Max Johnson’s short but notable career at LSU began during the 2020 season as the backup to Myles Brennan who suffered a season-ending injury at the start of the year, giving way to Johnson who immediately showed his ability in a win against the Florida Gators, passing for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions, and finishing the season with 1,069 yards passing for 8 touchdowns and 1 interception.
In 2021, after Myles Brennan sustained yet another compromising injury, Johnson earned the starting position again, becoming the lone bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming 6-6 campaign, passing for 2,815 yards for 27 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, with an average of 7.5 yards per attempt, showing great accuracy and decision making throughout the season. After coaching changes in Baton Rouge began to take shape, Johnson entered the transfer portal, choosing the Aggies while seeing an opportunity to take the starting position with a couple years of SEC experience on his resume.
Max Johnson performed adequately in his first on-field action during the Maroon and White Spring Game, passing for 127 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, and looks to continue refining his game starting today, with eyes on earning the starting quarterback position for Texas A&M this fall.
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