Now the 6-foot, 185-pound athlete has emerged as one of the state's top freshman football prospects while starring as a varsity receiver for the Brentwood Academy Eagles.
Johnson has caught 25 passes for 587 yards and nine touchdowns to lead a Eagles squad that began the year with modest expectations following the loss of several seniors, the transfer of four-star prospect C.J. Sanders to California and injuries of seniors Dawson Knox and Jordan James, to a surprising 8-1 record and a Top 30 national ranking.
Already considered a Top 50 national player in the 2018 class by several early college basketball recruiting networks, Johnson knows the question of which sport does he plan to play in college will be there. He says he'd like to play both if possible at the next level, but recognizes that he's still very young in the process and will have to weight those options when they come.
Johnson's success on the gridiron may be a surprise to some on the high school scene, but just like with basketball, the young phenom was also successful in football as he and fellow Eagles freshman Daniel Taylor played in the Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl in San Antonio back in January. Johnson also played for Team Tennessee in the Football University-East Bay Tournament.