Ja'Varrius Johnson

Johnson led the Tigers in receiving last season, but his numbers look paltry due to the incompetent quarterback play at Auburn last season. Johnson led all wide receivers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Overall, he caught 26 passes for 493 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. Despite limited opportunities, Johnson still flashed his big-play ability, averaging a stout 19.0 yards per catch. That average placed Johnson fifth amongst qualifying receivers in the SEC last season. The quarterback position should be upgraded this year with the transfer of Payton Thorne from Michigan State, who started the last two seasons for the Spartans and tossed a combined 46 touchdowns over that span. Thorne is expected to win the starting job in a competition with Robby Ashford, who largely struggled during his time under center a season ago. In addition, a coaching change to the offensive-minded Hugh Freeze should also pay dividends for Johnson. Freeze’s squads at Liberty averaged over 400 yards of total offense in all four of his seasons with the program. Read Past Outlooks