Jake Johnson (American football)

Jake Johnson is an American football tight end for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He previously played for the Texas A&M Aggies from 2022–2023.

Early years
Johnson grew up in Athens, Georgia and attended Oconee County High School. He played with his older brother, quarterback Max Johnson, for his first two seasons of high school and caught 60 passes for 845 yards and 14 touchdowns during his sophomore season. Johnson had 37 receptions for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. He caught 45 passes for 745 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. After the season, Johnson played in the 2022 All-American Bowl.

Johnson was rated as a four-star recruit and the best tight end prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He initially committed to play college football at LSU where his older brother Max was playing. Johnson later de-committed after his brother entered the NCAA transfer portal. He ultimately signed a letter of intent to play at Texas A&M. Max Johnson transferred to Texas A&M after his brother's commitment.

Texas A&M
Johnson joined the Texas A&M Aggies as an early enrollee in January 2022.

He played in five games in his freshman season, making one reception for two yards. In his sophomore season, Johnson played in all 12 games and caught 24 passes for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns. His older brother, Max, entered the transfer portal after the end of Texas A&M's regular season, quickly committing to North Carolina. Jake entered the portal shortly thereafter.

North Carolina
After entering the transfer portal, Johnson decided to follow his brother Max to Chapel Hill, joining him at UNC.

Personal life
Johnson is the son of former Florida State and NFL quarterback Brad Johnson and the nephew of former Georgia and Miami head coach Mark Richt.