Tez Johnson
_(cropped).jpg) Johnson in 2024 | |
| Oregon Ducks – No. 15 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 18, 2002 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 156 lb (71 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Troy (2020–2022) Oregon (2023–2024) |
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Pinson Valley (AL) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Keyonteze Johnson[1] (born May 18, 2002) is an American college football wide receiver for the Oregon Ducks. He previously played for the Troy Trojans.
Early life
[edit]Johnson was born on May 18, 2002, in Birmingham, Alabama.[2][1] His father died by suicide when he was an infant and Johnson grew up in government subsidized housing in Pinson, Alabama.[1] At age 15, he was taken in by the family of quarterback Bo Nix, whose father Pat was his high school football coach.[3][4] He played football at Pinson Valley High School, with Nix and helped them win the class 6A state championship.[4]
Johnson was a three-year starter at the school and was a first-team all-state selection as a junior when he caught 106 receptions for 1,457 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a 17-catch, 247-yard, three-touchdown performance in one game which was the eighth-most catches in a game in state history.[5][6][7] He caught 62 passes for 1,140 yards and 12 scores as a senior while being invited to the Alabama–Mississippi All-Star Game.[6] Ranked a three-star recruit and the 39th-best player in the state by ESPN, he chose to play college football for the Troy Trojans.[6]
College career
[edit]Johnson entered Troy in 2020 and as a true freshman played 11 games totaling 18 receptions for 211 yards.[8] He was the team's leading receiver in 2021 with 67 catches for 735 yards and four touchdowns, being named third-team All-Sun Belt Conference.[7][9] He remained Troy's top receiver in 2022, being named honorable mention all-conference while totaling 56 receptions for 863 yards and four scores.[10][11] Johnson entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2022 season.[12]
Johnson ultimately transferred to the Oregon Ducks, joining his adoptive brother Bo Nix, the team's starting quarterback.[13] He became Oregon's second-leading receiver, behind Troy Franklin, and helped them reach the 2023 Pac-12 Conference title game.[14][15] In the 2024 season, Johnson played in 12 games, recording 83 receptions for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns. On January 6, 2025, Johnson declared for the 2025 NFL draft.[16]
College statistics
[edit]| Season | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Punt Return | Kick Return | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2020 | Troy | 11 | 0 | 18 | 211 | 11.7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 9 | 42 | 4.7 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 12 | 12 | 67 | 735 | 11.0 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2022 | 13 | 8 | 56 | 863 | 15.4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2.2 | 0 | 6 | 69 | 11.5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2023 | Oregon | 14 | 13 | 86 | 1,182 | 13.7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 190 | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 83 | 898 | 10.8 | 10 | 1 | −1 | −1.0 | 0 | 13 | 155 | 11.9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| Career | 62 | 45 | 310 | 3,889 | 12.5 | 28 | 9 | 50 | 5.6 | 1 | 56 | 519 | 9.3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | |
Personal life
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Oram, Bill (August 30, 2023). "Bill Oram: The 'so storybook' tale of how Tez Johnson and Bo Nix became brothers, Oregon Ducks teammates". oregonlive. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Tez Johnson". Troy Trojans.
- ^ Greene, Brenna (August 9, 2023). "Tez Johnson, adoptive brother of Oregon QB Bo Nix, poised for breakout season". KOIN.
- ^ a b Oram, Bill (August 30, 2023). "The 'so storybook' tale of how Tez Johnson and Bo Nix became brothers, Oregon Ducks teammates". OregonLive.com.
- ^ "National Signing Day: Pinson Valley's Tez Johnson signs to play football at Troy; Hawkins to Samford". Trussville Tribune. December 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Tez Johnson". Oregon Ducks.
- ^ a b Smalley, Don (December 30, 2022). "Transfer Profile: 5 things to know about Oregon's new WR Tez Johnson". USA Today.
- ^ Hughes, Grant (December 30, 2022). "Oregon lands Troy leading WR, Bo Nix's adopted brother Tez Johnson via transfer portal". 247Sports.
- ^ Torres, Max (December 29, 2022). "Former Troy Wide Receiver Tez Johnson Commits to Oregon". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Crepea, James (May 2, 2023). "Tez Johnson showcases speed, ability to gain yards after catch in Oregon Ducks spring game". OregonLive.com.
- ^ "Troy football's leading receiver entering transfer portal". WSFA. December 20, 2022.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (December 20, 2022). "Troy wide receiver Tez Johnson, younger brother of Bo Nix, entering transfer portal". AL.com.
- ^ Neel, Zachary (December 29, 2022). "Ducks add transfer WR Tez Johnson, former leading receiver at Troy". USA Today.
- ^ Skopil, Erik (November 12, 2023). "Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson forming dynamic pass attack duo". 247Sports.
- ^ Peterson, Anne M. (November 25, 2023). "Oregon defeats Oregon State 31–7 for a spot in the Pac-12 title game". Oregon Public Broadcasting.
- ^ "Oregon DT Derrick Harmon, WR Tez Johnson declare for draft". espn.com. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ Mercer, Kevin. "MVP Tez Johnson leads No. 1 Oregon into CFP, knows God 'orders our steps'". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved December 13, 2024.