Tag: Jake Johnson

UNC loses its leading pass-catcher to a broken wrist

The UNC offense suffered a major blow on Monday afternoon…

It’s not like the North Carolina Tar Heels will win a bunch more games this football season, but their offense has the ability to at least keep them close with opponents.

UNC has shifted to a run-first offense this year, led by star running back Omarion Hampton. North Carolina has an okay passing attack, led by fifth-year quarterback Jacolby Criswell, but it’s missing a Drake Maye-caliber QB. The Tar Heels also have a solid receiving corps, but one that’s extremely young and lacks a true number one guy like Devontez Walker.

UNC’s already-inexperienced receiving corps just received a massive blow on Monday afternoon, as Inside Carolina’s Ben Sherman announced that starting tight end Bryson Nesbit will miss several weeks with a fractured wrist.

Through seven games this season, Nesbit leads North Carolina with 24 receptions. Nesbit is also tied with fellow tight end John Copenhaver for a team-best three touchdown receptions, plus Nesbit is second to J.J. Jones in receiving yards (264).

Good news for Nesbit and the Tar Heels: they have a bye week this coming weekend, which will allow Nesbit to rest up and recover from injury a bit. He likely won’t be back for the Virginia game in two weeks, but could return for a Nov. 2 road date with Florida State.

With Nesbit now out, look for UNC to rely more on Copenhaver and Texas A&M transfer tight end Jake Johnson. Jones will also now likely take on a larger role at receiver, while North Carolina will call upon other pass-catchers to step up.

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On3 is very high on this UNC football position group for 2024

An experienced tight end group will help the UNC football team navigate a new quarterback room this fall.

It seems like just yesterday, we were sitting on our couches watching Michigan and Washington battle it out for the CFP National Championship.

We’re now preparing for the start of the 2024 regular season, an exciting time fans are increasingly eager for with Spring Games and transfer portal additions.

The greatest headline to watch for the UNC football team, ahead of its Aug. 29 opener at Minnesota, is who will start at quarterback. North Carolina’s Spring Game provided an excellent opportunity for fans to see the Conner Harrell/Max Johnson battle firsthand, with each gunslinger standing out in specific areas.

One area the Tar Heels won’t have to worry about, though, is their stacked tight end room.

Headlined by returners Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver, plus transfer Jake Johnson (Max’s brother), North Carolina’s tight end group was deemed the nation’s third-best by On3 Sports.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rb3NMO_mA/?img_index=1

Nesbit ended his 2023 campaign with five touchdowns and 585 receiving yards, the latter making him third on UNC behind Walker and J.J. Jones. Copenhaver finished with 279 yards and four touchdowns, both second-most amongst tight ends, while Johnson ended his last year at Texas A&M with 235 yards and four scores.

Cort Halsey, Timmy Lawson, Deems May, Julien Randolph, Cal Tierney did not play for the Tar Heels last year. They’ll be looking to provide valuable production in the deep TE room, which will be a huge benefit for North Carolina’s quarterbacks.

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Former Texas A&M TE Jake Johnson officially commits to North Carolina in transfer portal

This weekend it was reported that sophomore TE Jake Johnson was “expected” to commit to North Carolina and that became a reality on Monday.

This past weekend, it was reported that Texas A&M sophomore tight end Jake Johnson was “expected” to commit to North Carolina in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

That expectation became a reality on Monday morning as Johnson officially committed to the Tar Heels program.

“Excited to be a Tar Heel! Let’s Go!” Johnson emphasized via X in two separate posts.

Johnson now joins his older brother, Max, in North Carolina. Max is a graduate transfer quarterback who entered the portal for the second time in his career on Nov. 26. He quickly chose the Tar Heels as his next program, announcing the decision three days later.

Jake entered the portal for the first time on Dec. 6. He is 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and comes to Chapel Hill with two years of eligibility remaining. Jake was a 4-star recruit coming out of Oconee County High School in Athens, Ga.

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Report: Texas A&M TE Jake Johnson expected to join brother Max with transfer to North Carolina

According to a report from Matt Zenitz, the “expectation” is that Aggies sophomore TE Jake Johnson will be transferring to North Carolina.

On Dec. 17, 2021, LSU sophomore quarterback Max Johnson chose Texas A&M as his new home via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Now exactly two years later, Max has already departed College Station and his younger brother Jake appears to be joining him at his next destination.

According to a report from 247Sports national college football reporter Matt Zenitz, the “expectation” per a source is that Texas A&M sophomore tight end Jake Johnson will be transferring to North Carolina in the portal.

Max entered the portal for the second time in his career on Nov. 26. He quickly chose the Tar Heels as his next program, announcing the decision three days later.

 

Jake entered the portal for the first time on Dec. 6 and has yet to officially reveal his choice. If the younger Johnson brother does ultimately decide to transfer to Chapel Hill, he would enter a competition with a North Carolina representative for the most popular Jake Johnson in the state.

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Texas A&M TE Jake Johnson will enter the transfer portal

Talented sophomore TE has entered his name into the transfer portal

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering his brother Max Johnson is transferring to North Carolina. It’s a tough loss as Johnson was starting to make some strides, but the Aggie tight end position currently has some decent depth.

We’ll need some time to see how it will shake out, but with Donovan Green returning from his injury, the starting spot should be in good hands.

With their presumed departures, a number of players have now entered the portal thus far, but keep an eye on defensive lineman Walter Nolen, who still has yet to enter after the recent hiring of new defensive line coach Sean Spencer.

The talented sophomore led the tight end group with 24 catches for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns this season. There is a good chance we will join his brother in North Carolina as they will probably want to keep playing together for Max’s potential final college season.

We wish Jake the best and will keep our eye on the portal news to see if Elko brings in a veteran TE to help out the room next year.

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Texas A&M leads LSU 17-14 at halftime behind a balanced offensive attack

Texas A&M has kept LSU at bay due to efficient defense and a balanced offensive attack, leading the Tigers 17-4 at the half.

Texas A&M leads No. 14 LSU 17-14 at halftime in the final regular season of the 2023 season for both programs, as Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels is not only pursuing a 9, or 10-win season but is on the cusp of winning a Heisman Trophy as well.

After the firing of head coach Jimbo Fisher, interim head coach Elijah Robinson is coaching his second game after leading the Aggies to victory last Saturday over Abilene Christian. In one of the toughest defensive matchups of the year for the Maroon & White, A&M has limited the high-scoring LSU offense to just 123 yards, 52 passing yards, and a touchdown for Daniels.

After three successful drives producing 17 points, Aggies signal caller Jaylen Henderson, making his third career start, has thrown for an efficient 152 yards on 16/20 passes, including the lead-taking touchdown to sophomore tight end Jake Johnson with just seconds remaining in the half.

Not knowing what the second half will bring, Texas A&M’s defense must continue bringing pressure up the middle to keep Daniels from escaping, as the senior did run for 59 yards on scrambles in the first. Overall, Jaylen Henderson looks confident in the pocket while reading through his progressions, and again, this team as a whole looks super confident through all the recent chaos surrounding the program after Fisher’s dismissal.

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‘It’s a 12-round fight in every SEC game,’ Jake Johnson and Albert Regis look ahead to facing Arkansas

Ahead of Saturday’s Southwest Classic, Jake Johnson and Albert Regis spoke on the Aggies’ mentality and preparation ahead of their matchup with Arkansas.

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) kicked off their SEC slate with an emphatic 27-10 win over Auburn last weekend. But as the Aggie player will attest, there’s no time to bask in the glory.

The Maroon and White face another formidable test in the Arkansas Razorbacks, who will go toe-to-toe with the Aggies at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The matchup marks the next chapter in the storied Southwest Classic series.

Ahead of Saturday’s action, tight end Jake Johnson and Albert Regis spoke with the media about the team’s preparation. For Johnson, last week’s memorable moment in catching a touchdown from his brother continues to reverberate in the locker room. Both brothers will look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s bout with the Hogs.

Below are Jake Johnson and Albert Regis’ full press conferences and notable highlights from their time at the podium.

Scotty Walden discusses Austin Peay football, connections with Tennessee

Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden discusses his offensive background and connections with Tennessee’s program.

Scotty Walden is in his third full season as head coach at Austin Peay.

The Governors will play at No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday (5 p.m. EDT, SEC Network+).

Walden, 33, has served as a head coach at Austin Peay, Southern Miss and East Texas Baptist since 2016.

His background is on the offensive side of the ball and operates with a spread tempo, going no huddle, while snapping the ball every 12 seconds.

Walden grew up studying the Air Raid offense with an understanding of the importance to run the ball.

Walden discussed his program and offense with Vols Wire ahead of the Austin Peay-Tennessee game.

“We are a spread vertical option offense,” Walden said. “We have always been that way. We have been doing the wide spilts for about ten years now, what (Art) Briles was doing and what (Josh) Heupel is doing now. My origins, Mike Leach, I studied him. Kliff (Kingsbury) was always so good to me, letting me pick his brain.

“I understood that you have to be able to run the ball to win championships. My biggest thing was, how do you blend the worlds? How do you blend throwing the ball down field effectively and running the ball? That is what we were doing my first OC job.”

Lanear Sampson (3). Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Walden has co-offesnive coordinators on staff in Jared Kaster and Lanear Sampson.

Kaster is serving as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He played offensive line for Kingsbury at Texas Tech (2013-15) and served as an offensive quality control coach with the Red Raiders (2016-17).

Sampson is serving as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach under Walden. He played wide receiver for Briles at Baylor from 2008-12.

Sampson was an offensive quality control coach under Heupel at UCF in 2020.

“Hiring Jared Kaster and Lanear Sampson from their trees kind of resembles that philosophy of aligning the worlds,” Walden said of fielding an offense meshing an Air Raid attack with the veer-and-shoot that Heupel has implemented since serving as Missouri’s offensive coordinator in 2016.

Billy Ray Johnson (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Quarterback Jake Johnson is also on roster for Austin Peay in 2023. He is the son of Billy Ray Johnson, who serves as chief of staff under Heupel at Tennessee.

“Jake is like my right-hand man,” Walden said. “We do satellite camps in Tennessee. We had a camp in Knoxville and Jake came out there. He threw the ball and he can throw. He is a good kid and we had a spot for him.

“He has been a culture driver since day one, a lockeroom glue guy. We talk ball all the time.”

Despite Donovan Green’s season ending injury, Texas A&M’s tight end room is in relatively good shape

Texas A&M’s tight end Donovan Green’s season ending injury means that Texas A&M’s deep TE room has bee thrust into the spotlight

On Sunday night, news broke that ascending Texas A&M tight end Donovan Green, who was set to enter his sophomore season, reportedly tore his ACL during the Aggies’ Saturday afternoon scrimmage, which Head Coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed on Monday.

Standing at an impressive 6-4 and 245 pounds, Donovan Green led all tight ends last season with 22 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns while appearing in 10 games with four starts.

Overall, Green is the complete package at the position due to his blocking ability in tandem with route running and impressive downfield speed. Still, everything we expected to see from the rising star this season will now have to wait until 2024, and if it weren’t for the Aggies’ impressive depth at the position, things would look much worse with less than three weeks before the Sept. 2 season opener.

So, who will lead the way in Green’s absence? To start, the bench is deep, yet senior tight end Max Wright, who is entering his 6th season with the program after switching positions from defensive end, has only 13 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns in 40 career games.

As a skilled blocker and reliable pass catcher, Wright’s injury history has hindered his consistency in the past two seasons. Still, through a healthy offseason, the hope is that his final season in Aggieland will be his most productive yet.

Second in line, sophomore Jake Johnson, who missed the bulk of last season due to injury, had only one reception for 2 yards. Ranked as the No.3 tight end in A&M’s historic 2022 cycle possesses by far the highest ceiling as a player, standing at an impressive 6-6 and 240 pounds; he has already turned heads with his fluidity and route-running in fall camp. Due to his build and wide receiver-like qualities, I’d expect Fisher and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to split him out wide while Max Wright remains the primary inline blocker.

In contrast, sophomores Fernando Garza III and Theo Melin Öhrsrtöm have yet to record a reception and were primarily active in special teams, as Öhrström has reportedly stood out the most this fall according to senior strong safety Demani Richardson:

“He’s getting stronger. He’s already built like Thor. He’s Getting Strong. He’s fast. He’s getting the playbook. He’s learning.”

Lastly, former four-star freshman tight end Jaden Platt might not see the field in large doses this season but has already shown why he was ranked as the No.4 TE prospect in the 2023 cycle after several impressive practices.

All in all, we’ll have to wait to see how things develop this season, but I’ll go ahead and place my trust in tight ends coach James Coley’s ability to get the most out of the talent he has at his disposal. Oh, and expect Donovan Green to be a constant presence in the postion room all season long.

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Texas A&M 2023 college football season countdown: No. 19 Jake Johnson

Tight end Jake Johnson returns for his second season in Aggieland and is now likely to see an elevated role in the aftermath of Donovan Green’s season-ending injury.

Fear not, Aggie fans, meaningful college football is just around the corner, with the start of the 2023 season under a month away! Here at Aggies Wire, we’ll be counting down by looking at each Texas A&M football player that corresponds to the number of days left till the start of the football season.

With 19 days until kickoff, we’re looking at No. 19 for the Maroon and White: sophomore tight end Jake Johnson.

Johnson returns for his second season in Aggieland after appearing in five games last season, recording one reception for two yards. While the expectation early on was that he would see an elevated role in 2023, there is now a clear opportunity ahead of him to play a vital role in the passing game in the aftermath of sophomore Donovan Green‘s injury.

As shared through Aggies Wire, Green is expected to miss the entirety of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL during Texas A&M’s closed scrimmage on Saturday afternoon.

Johnson was a four-star prospect and the No. 3 ranked tight end in the 2022 cycle, and after enrolling early in the spring of 2022 he quickly turned heads with his fluidity and route-running. It’s keen to note that with a 245-pound frame, he’s built much differently than Green and more so like a bigger wideout as opposed to a traditional tight end.

Expect Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Petrino to leverage the tandem of Johson and Melin Ohrstrom in order to soften the blow of Green’s season-ending injury. Truth be told, the sheer depth of the tight end room in Johnson, Ohrstrom, Max Wright, and Fernando Garza is a key reason why the Aggies have been able to weather the consistent injuries to the group.

So long as Johnson can stay healthy, which feels like a big “if” considering this group’s track record with injuries, it should allow Texas A&M to leverage plenty of 12 personnel and give the starting quarterback an extra outlet, whether that be Conner Weigman or Max Johnson. The injury to Green is significant, but having the likes of Johnson in the fold is one of the reasons why this group can be equipped to weather the storm.

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