Johnson likely to be Owls' QB pick
Redshirt junior, back after arm surgery, leads depth chart for FAU.
The feeling of
BOCA RATON — déjà vu on De’Andre Johnson’s mind this summer is completely justified.
“This is my fourth straight year in a quarterback competition,” Johnson said after Florida Atlantic’s spring game April 21. “It’s never yours. Every day, you should take that mindset and compete and get better. Never get complacent.”
A former Mr. Florida for First Coast High School in 2014, Johnson has faced plenty of competition at Florida State, East Mississippi Community College, and FAU in the past four years. After missing nearly all of last season with blood clots in his arm, Johnson returned this spring to battle Chris Robison, himself a former Power Five quarterback who transferred from Oklahoma last August, for the starting job vacated by the now-retired Jason Driskel.
The results, as one would figure for one quarterback coming off arm surgery and another who sat out last season in compliance with NCAA transfer rules, were inconsistent. Johnson’s focus was
improving his arm strength and accuracy — the redshirt junior said after the spring game he estimated he was up to “80 per-
cent.” Robison, after returning from a short suspension for violating team rules, was adjusting to playing with the starters and second string as opposed to the scout team. Projected depth chart: De’Andre Johnson — Redshirt Junior (6-foot2, 205 pounds): The good news for Johnson is that he’s healthy and he has a year playing under Lane Kiffin. Johnson showed improved vision this spring and is still a threat with his legs, which contributed to a strong spring camp for the former “Last Chance U” star. If Johnson continues to limit his mistakes while regaining his arm strength, he’s most likely the front-runner.
Chris Robison — R-Fr. (6-1, 177): Robison led the second team to a spring game win, but tried too often to make big plays. Kiffin attributed the mistakes to Robison’s “gunslinger” mentality, comments that followed a comparison between Robison and former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel last August. Robison certainly has the skills and moxie to become a long-term starter in Boca Raton, but he’ll need to build off the positive strides he made in spring camp to start against his former teammates in Norman in the season opener.
Conor Miller — R-Sr. (6-4, 215): A Cypress Bay alumnus who transferred to FAU from Mount San Antonio (Calif.) Community College last summer, Miller served as the third-string quarterback a year ago after Johnson’s injury and will likely do the same this season. Miller did not throw a pass last season.
Cordel Littlejohn — Fr. (6-4, 190): Littlejohn was the lone quarterback in FAU’s 2018 signing class — Trent Wessel rejoined the team as a walk-on and former Indiana quarterback Nick Tronti transferred last month, but will need to sit out this year — and could certainly crack the top three of the depth chart.
The big question: How long will the QB battle go on? While last year’s competition technically ended in the hours leading up to the Sept. 1 opener against Navy, there’s an argument to be made the battle wasn’t actually over until October, when Driskel had entrenched himself as the team’s starting quarterback and the Owls were in the early stages of their 10-game winning streak. Johnson and Robison have the talent and determination to keep the fight going until the team runs onto the field in Oklahoma, but the Owls may be better served if a quarterback establishes himself as the starter sooner than later.
Newcomer to watch: Unless a graduate transfer joins the Owls in the coming weeks, Littlejohn wins this without much competition. A recent NCAA rule change means Littlejohn can play up to four games this season while retaining another year of eligibility, a factor which raises questions on how the Owls will handle his development. As Littlejohn is already enrolled on campus, his presence on day one of practice could, as we saw with Daniel Parr last summer, add another unforeseen element to the QB battle.
The pressure is on: Robison, both on and off the field. There’s no doubt Robison showed an ability to make plays throughout the spring, whether it was in the air or on the ground, but he’ll need to limit the gunslinger tendencies that lead to overthrown passes and turnovers. Robison also has to stay on the field and out of trouble to justify Kiffin taking him in from Oklahoma last summer.
Fun fact: Barring that last-minute graduate transfer, the quarterback who starts against Oklahoma will have the fewest passes at the Division I level by an FAU starter since Jaquez Johnson in 2013. Johnson signed with the Owls that offseason as a junior college transfer from East Mississippi Community College and made his FBS debut in a 34-6 loss to Miami, completing 11-of-20 passes for 83 yards.