Jaydon Johnson celebrates a catch in practice
As soon as Jaydon Johnson realized that he had already played his last game for the Stafford Spartans, he was determined to develop a relationship with his new teammates at Fort Bend Marshall, and that is exactly what he has done.
Johnson has been described as a "matchup nightmare" and "the best player on the field" in recent 7 on 7 tournaments, and yet not regarded as a high recruit after his junior year. Jaydon believes that this offseason will be crucial if he hopes to tack on his dream offers. When asked why he thinks that he hasn't been recognized as much as he hoped to this point, Jaydon said "It's all connections, and I think that is what (Fort Bend) Marshall has". Jaydon's lack of coverage has definitely not been due to poor play, he finished the 2020 season with 541 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 12 games for Stafford.
In the last few weeks, partly as a result of his performance in the 7 on 7 tournaments, Jaydon has picked up several big-name offers including Houston, Colorado, and Maryland. Johnson said he's been excited to receive these offers, but it does not stop his motivation or drive to become better one bit. While there hasn't been an official offer yet, Jaydon revealed that he has been in contact with a certain Big 12 program somewhere in the state of Texas.
While he will be a premier player for the Buffs this coming season, Jaydon definitely will not be the wide receiver that most Marshall fans will be looking at. Chris Marshall became an instant sensation since switching to football from basketball in his junior year, recording over 1000 receiving yards this past season. Chris has already racked up offers from Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and most recently, Alabama. Jaydon has already developed a relationship with Chris, and he isn't afraid that he will hinder his performance, saying "I'm gonna do my thing, he's gonna do his thing, we're just gonna make each other better".
Another teammate that Jaydon has meshed with since transferring to Marshall in January is JaKoby Banks, a 2023 ATH, who is in the mix to start at quarterback for the team. Johnson and Banks play together on Texas Stars Football, one of the best 7 on 7 teams in the state. Jaydon thinks that being around JaKoby will help both of them on the road to the 2021 season, as he said "I'm starting to build a good bond with him without even padding up yet, he's really cool".
Jaydon is bound to be one of Marshall's most impactful players the second he hits the field, as he is able to line up on both sides of the ball. Although his new coaches have not explicitly asked him to play defense for the Buffs, he said "If they say something, I'll do it. Safety, outside linebacker, whatever they want, it doesn't matter, I'm ready to play".
Although they have already proven themselves as one of the most efficient programs in the Houston area, the Buffs will surely need several players to step up this year if they hope to capture a 5A Championship in 2021 after several years of getting very close to winning one. Jaydon expects to go all the way, and he said he has quickly learned that the Marshall way is to compete to your fullest, whether it's in the weight room, in drills, or any other offseason program. Johnson reemphasized how much he loves his new school by saying "This is a family, this is a great bond between the players and the coaches, and we push each other all the time".
