When Jalen Johnson came to Georgia Tech in 2014, he was a little timid, he said. It was understandable; he was recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the preseason of his senior year in high school.
Then last year, late in the preseason, he was moved from safety to provide more depth. A year later, he is competing for playing time at nickel back with Lawrence Austin and feeling more at home. Johnson said that being settled in at nickel, he feels confident.
“Jalen’s probably had the most improvement over everybody,” safeties coach Andy McCollum said. “He’s physical, he’s wrapping up, playing better on the pass.”
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Johnson can provide a different look than Austin, who is 5-9 and 185 pounds. It can be particularly valuable as the nickel back will often line up against tight ends, who can stand 6-4 or taller.
He is among the biggest players in the secondary, along with safeties A.J. Gray (6-1, 215) and Christian Campbell (6-2, 205).
Safety A.J. Gray is 6-1, 215, and backup safety Christian Campbell is 6-2 and 205.
“Tight ends are big nowadays, so I think height can definitely help for that,” Johnson said.
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