Tight end Jake Johnson continuing to work hard toward 2022 season

Freshman tight end Jake Johnson has a full spring and a couple of weeks of Fall Camp under his belt as the Oconee County HS product prepares for his first collegiate season. #19 sat down with Billy Liucci to provide an update as the 2022 season is less than three weeks away.

Key notes from Jake Johnson interview

• There is a difference in Texas and Georgia heat. Coming from Georgia heat, it's normally just hot. Everyone was telling me that Texas heat was different, and I was like, "We'll see." The first few days of camp, it was absolutely blazing. It's hot out there.
   
• On day one of Fall Camp, everyone was excited, but it's hard work. It's football. It's a contact sport. Collectively, the more we come together and work together, it keeps us pushing forward.
   
• I've done some things well and some things poorly, but I feel like I'm making progress. I just have to trust what the coaches are coaching me.
   
• Football is mentally and physically challenging. Working on my technique is something the coaches push, and my part is to be mentally strong. I have to physically be there. The coaches are always talking about alignment, assignment and technique. Those are things I am constantly working on.
   
• There is always room to improve on in every aspect, but making sure you're in the right spot, know your assignment and are going full speed while having the technical side down is what causes execution. That's what I truly believe needs to happen.
   
• Max Johnson is extremely competitive, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to win. He's not the most talkative leader, and he's more about actions. There is never a point where he is going to quit, and he brings the energy that he is going to do his job no matter what.
   
• Donovan Green and Theo Melin Öhrström are extremely competitive, and they're good at the tight end position. All of the tight ends come ready to compete every day as a group and do it together. Everyone pushes everyone else to be the best they can be. The three freshmen, we're all pushing each other.
   
• With Antonio Johnson and Demani Richardson, those two safeties are extremely talented, and they can play roll-down nickel on you. They're very technical and very smart. Going against them every day helps us get better. Iron sharpens iron, no doubt.
   
• I don't judge someone on who they are and whether I can get open. I don't want to underestimate someone, but I don't want to build someone up in my mind to be the best ever either. I just focus on my game and trying to do the best I can whenever I'm out there.
   
• Starting with our receivers, they're extremely talented. The line is holding up their protections. The quarterbacks are putting the ball where it needs to go. Jimbo Fisher is calling great plays. We have a chance to be extremely explosive, and I'm ready to do it come game time.
   
• The SEC is big boy ball. You have to bring that intensity every day. The coaches are going to make sure you bring it every day. We're all being pushed, watched and graded. I bring that intensity. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to be out there every day. I love the grind of Fall Camp.
   
• Normally on off days, I'll wake up focused on getting my body back. I'll have a nice breakfast. We have meetings in the afternoon, but I try to chill all day and watch a movie or something. Eventually, I'll do something active where I'm not just laying around all day, Right now, Max and I are doing a puzzle. We have the edges down. It's of the mountains or something. We struggled to find an edge piece for a couple of hours, but we finally found it this morning. It was lit.
   
• Whenever our whole family comes together, we play a card game called "What the Heck" that started when my family was in Nebraska. They brought it down to Georgia. Uncle Mark Richt and his side of the family — which is my mom's side — originated the game.
   
• With Uncle Mark, when he's at football, he would come home and tell us stories. Going to UGA games when we were younger was an awesome experience. He never pushed us to play football, but we began to love it because it was in our family. He's awesome, and we all love him. He's extremely funny.
   
• My mom played volleyball at South Florida, and she's extremely competitive. She's the best mom I could ever ask for. She pushes us to be the best people we can be in our faith and everything else. I love her. She's awesome.
   
• Both my parents will be nervous on Sept. 3, but I bet my dad will probably be the most nervous of the two just because his two sons are playing together. It will be fun.