'Crazy Fast' Freshman LB Impressing Teammates in First Camp

Myles Johnson flew under the radar by outsiders during both his recruitment and in fall camp, but his teammates are beginning to take notice of what he brings to the table.

Florida Gators freshman linebacker Myles Johnson is impressing those around him despite being a late enrollee. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Myles Johnson joined the Florida Gators linebacker room this fall buried beneath a collection of young talent that makes up potentially one of the best units in the country. Though somewhat ‘late’ to the party compared to the spring enrollees of his 2025 recruiting class, the former three-star has already begun to demand attention.

“Every single practice, he has a pursuit clip in the team meeting where he is running down a wide receiver on the sideline, chasing him down,” sophomore linebacker Myles Graham said Friday. “He's extremely fast. He's the fastest linebacker on the team, he definitely is.”

#Gators freshman LB Myles Johnson pic.twitter.com/XarhJ1clQr

— Cam Parker (@camparker25) August 12, 2025

Once an Alabama commit, Johnson was heavily targeted out of high school yet not heavily talked about. Despite an SEC frame and impressive athleticism, he was ranked as just the 686th composite player in the country and the No. 71 linebacker in his class.

Regardless of his ranking, the Alabama native has all the measurables to be an impactful player on day one. Combined with his 6-foot-3/4, 224-pound frame, Johnson ran a 10.7 100-meter at Brewton (Ala.) T.R. Miller, an incredibly impressive mark for a player his size.

“Myles Johnson. That boy can slide. For how big he is, it's scary,” redshirt sophomore wide receiver Aidan Mizell said on Friday when asked who was sneaky fast on Florida’s roster. “He is crazy fast. They said he ran something in high school, like 10.7 or some crazy number. For how big he is, that’s ridiculous.”

His speed shouldn't come as a surprise, though, considering he rushed for over 1,100 yards with 22 touchdowns in his final high school season. Still, the former three-star has managed to fly under the radar due to the aforementioned veteran presence and talent ahead of him.

Florida Gators linebacker Myles Johnson previously played running back at T.R. Miller. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

Though his speed may be sneaky, there is no hiding his size.

“He first came into the weight room, like on a visit or something, I thought it was a new coach the way he looked,” Mizell said.

Just a few weeks from the season opener, Johnson’s emergence has been aided by the nagging injury bug that has plagued Florida’s camp, with head coach Billy Napier mentioning the freshman ‘taking advantage’ of the open opportunities.

Though an uphill battle for playing time in a talented group, keep an eye out for the impressive athlete to possibly accelerate his timeline for playing time by continuing to make a strong first impression on campus.