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The Oregon football team is currently taking on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, and the Ducks have one of the best players in the country in wide receiver Tez Johnson. Johnson has had a massive season and an all-around impressive college career. He started at Troy and played three seasons there before transferring to the Ducks last season, and he has been outstanding.
Tez Johnson joined the Troy football team ahead of the 2020 season, and he stayed in-state for college as he grew up in Alabama. That state has some elite college football programs, and Nick Saban was the head coach at Alabama at the time. Saban was looking back on things ahead of Wednesday's Rose Bowl, and he couldn't believe that the Crimson Tide didn't recruit Johnson.
“What I'm sitting here thinking about is Tez Johnson's in Birmingham, 45 minutes away from Alabama,” Nick Saban said ahead of the Rose Bowl. “We didn't recruit the guy. Who was recruiting Birmingham? And I should have fired their a**.”
Saban always got some of the best players in the country to Alabama, but he did miss out on Johnson. However, a lot of schools missed out on Johnson. No disrespect to Troy, but it's surprising that a player that talented ended up at a program of that caliber. Now, Johnson is doing big things with the Oregon football team.
During his first year with Oregon, Johnson hauled in 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns. So far this season, Johnson has 78 receptions for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns, but the year isn't over. The Ducks are the top seed in the College Football Playoff, but they are currently getting obliterated against Ohio State.
Tez Johnson was shut down in the first half of the Rose Bowl, as he had just one reception for -1 yards. Ohio State came ready to play in this one and completely dominated the first two quarters. The Buckeyes have a 34-8 lead at halftime.
Johnson and Oregon will need to put something special together in the second half if they want their season to continue. A lot of people picked the Ducks to win it all heading into the playoff, but Ohio State is looking unstoppable right now.
Regardless of what happens in the second half, Johnson has had a tremendous career at Oregon, and he has put up terrific numbers throughout college as a whole. He is a very impressive player, and Nick Saban wishes he had received an opportunity to coach him in the past.
