Transfer Profile: 5 things to know about Oregon’s new WR Tez Johnson
Oregon’s receiver room in 2023 is going to be ridiculous and that was going to be the case before Troy’s leading pass catcher Tez Johnson transferred in.
Quarterback Bo Nix is going to have a bevy of options to throw to and he wanted another familiar face in Johnson, which we’ll get into a little more later in this post.
At 5-foot-10 and just 150 pounds, Johnson should be able to play all around the field and in a number of formations to make it difficult enough for the defense to keep track of.
It’s likely he’ll bulk up some in the Oregon weight room, but fans should think of players such as De’Anthony Thomas, James Rodgers or even (old school) Samie Parker when comparing Johnson.
He's family
AP Photo/Matt Kelley
Tez Johnson is the brother of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, whose parents Patrick and Krista adopted Johnson. He has a total of four brothers and three sisters.
Proof that recruiting stars aren't always accurate
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Coming out of Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, Johnson wasn’t exactly a highly-touted recruit. He was, at most, a three-star recruit. It was probably due to his smallish size at 5-10 and 140 pounds. But once again, stars don’t tell the entire story. One at Troy, Johnson flourished to become their leading receiver for two straight seasons.
For 2021 and 2022, Johnson had 123 catches for 1,598 yards and eight touchdowns.
Has played with Nix before
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It’s doubtful the Ducks will ask Johnson to throw any passes like he did in Troy’s bowl game, but he probably got some pointers from Nix. The two played together in high school. As a junior and Nix a senior, Johnson caught 106 passes for 1,457 yards and 10 touchdowns. In one game, he caught 17 passes for 247 yards and three scores.
Those 17 catches in one game ranks eighth all-time in Alabama high school history.
Penn State pushed hard to land him
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Penn State has a huge need at receiver and is hitting the transfer portal hard in order to fill that receiver room. Johnson was one of the targets Nittany Lions coach James Franklin was aiming for, but unlike the 1995 Rose Bowl, the Ducks won this battle.
Analytics say he's one of the best receivers out there
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According to the analytic website PFF, Johnson is one of the best receivers in the country. They say:
His 89.9 grade this season trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among all FBS receivers. The sophomore averaged 3.52 yards per route run, which ranked second among the same group. Johnson’s 5-foot-10, 150-pound build may scare some teams off, but make no mistake: He can play.
Oregon wasn’t scared in the least.
