23 Players in 23 Days: #16 Max Johnson

Position: Quarterback
Classification: Junior
Hometown: Athens, GA
Height: 6-6
Weight: 230 lbs.

Key notes from Liucci’s thoughts on Johnson

• Max Johnson is a good one. An old lefty. I have an affinity for a left-handed quarterback.
   
• Johnson was exceptional at LSU. He was a monster addition in the transfer portal. We saw what he did at LSU firsthand. He beat Florida twice at LSU. He beat Auburn. What am I equally impressed with is what he did against A&M.
   
• Watching his highlights from the Arkansas game, this guy came in and didn't win the starting job. He comes in against Miami a week after Texas A&M lost to Appalachian State. Think about how down this team was. A&M only scored 17 points against Miami, but it was a night game at Kyle Field. No Evan Stewart and had a lot of drama the morning of the game. Johnson comes out there for the first time with a new team. He calmly led the team to a win without a lot of blocking at the time.
   
• The next week, he goes to Jerry World, and it starts out rough for A&M. He outduels K.J. Jefferson by making fewer mistakes, making plays and a couple of big throws and runs. A&M wins that football game.
   
• Those were a couple of must-win games. Things fell apart at Mississippi State. That game was probably as bad of offensive line play as I have seen from them all year. Then, Johnson breaks his hand. What Johnson did last year was very impressive.
   
• Johnson beat A&M by himself in Baton Rouge with the help of the officials, but that wasn’t when he was on the field. The dude can play. Everyone knows he can play.
   
• What I don’t like for Johnson and Conner Weigman is when you talk about the competition going on over there. People don’t believe that because they know what Weigman can be and will be.
   
• I remember Kliff Kingsbury telling me that he knew the starting quarterback would be Johnny Manziel. He had so many Case Keenum qualities, but Kingsbury said Manziel had to win that job in front of the whole team. That's what Weigman has to do. Weigman looked great, but you don’t take a job away from Johnson just because he had an injury.
   
• Weigman's body of work is still four games. Auburn was a bad one. You don’t hand Weigman the job. He has to go and win it.
   
• The question is if Johnson gets rid of it quickly enough. How does Johnson respond to Bobby Petrino's coaching? How does he respond to Petrino's system, and what he is asking the quarterbacks to do?
   
• There is a battle that will take place because Johnson is that good. I think he is the most underappreciated player on the roster. He is a damn good quarterback, but if he doesn't win the job, he will be as good as any backup quarterback in the country. Johnson is one of the most valuable people in that locker room.