Auburn Tigers transfer tight end Jake Johnson is bringing something to the room the program might not have had since John Samuel Shenker: a capable pass-catching tight end who can greatly aid the running game.
AL.com's Peter Rauterkus believes Johnson's experience with the Texas A&M Aggies and North Carolina Tar Heels, where he played with his brother, quarterback Max Johnson, lends to the idea that he can be an asset in the TE room.
"Johnson’s best season came in 2023, when he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns at Texas A&M. At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Johnson — the brother of former LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson — has the size to be versatile in Auburn’s offense at tight end," Rauterkus wrote.
"His numbers at Texas A&M and North Carolina show that he’s a capable pass catcher, but he also has the size to help out in the run game as a blocker."
Asking Johnson to surpass Shenker's 413 yards on 33 receptions is probably hard, considering Byrum Brown will have five receivers coming over from the USF Bulls he'll probably be somewhat partial to: Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Kory Pettigrew, Christian Neptune, and Chas Nimrod. Still, the tight end is a consistent "safety valve" in Alex Golesh's attack. Johnson has the chance to thrive out of his brother's shadow as a veteran who can immediately make noise at a position that hasn't seen competence since at least Rivaldo Fairweather.
Auburn brought in a respected HC to be TE coach
Golesh is serious about overhauling the TE position. In December, he hired Larry Scott, a two-decade-long collegiate coach with previous stops at some of Golesh's past jobs (USF, Tennessee Volunteers), but never crossed paths with him, as Auburn's TE coach/associate head coach.
Scott is a strong recruiter and a well-liked position coach. Assuming he doesn't clash with Golesh ideologically in unforeseen ways, Scott should be a key component of the tight end position's revival on the Plains.