New Dawg Report: Dillon Johnson
When the coaching staff secured a commitment from Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson, they hit a home run. Ranked as the third-best back in the transfer portal by 247 Sports, running backs coach Lee Marks found someone who can contribute on all three downs.
Over his three years with the Bulldogs, Johnson totaled 1,198 yards on the ground and added 11 touchdowns on just 229 carries in the late Mike Leach's Air Raid system. He also recorded 864 yards on 149 catches and one receiving touchdown, making him a true three-down threat.
When Johnson arrives for spring practice at the end of March, he should end up taking starting reps rather quickly. If he's able to prove that he can pass protect at a high level, he could cement himself as the starter by the end of the spring.
With great vision and the ability to hit holes quickly, Johnson's three years of experience in the SEC are going to play very well as he transitions to the Pac-12. He also possesses the ability to break tackles and jump cut with ease, and could end up putting up career numbers in head coach Kalen DeBoer's system.
Johnson has the potential to be everything Husky fans were hoping Wayne Taulapapa would be when he transferred in from Virginia. And that's no slight on Taulapapa, who was a very good back, but Johnson is a level above him. He's a much better tackle-breaker and receiver, and will complement fellow running back Cameron Davis really well.
While the two have very similar skill sets and won't necessarily be a change of pace from one another, the pairing of Davis and Johnson makes Washington's offense an even greater threat. No matter which back is on the field, the Huskies aren't going to give away what type of play they're running from personnel alone. With the talent around him, Johnson could end up being one of the best backs in the conference in 2023.
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