The Southern Miss football program has taken a significant hit to its roster.
On Twitter Tuesday, Jaden Johnson announced that he has decided to take the first step in leaving the Southern Miss football program by placing his name into the NCAA transfer database. The quarterback stated that he came to the decision "[a]fter prayer, and talking with my family we have come to an agreement that it was best for me to enter the transfer portal and continue my football career [elsewhere].”
As it turns out, that elsewhere will be a lower level of the sport. According to Johnson, he will be attending Fort Scott Community College in Kansas.
“First I would like to thank the University of Southern Mississippi for giving me an opportunity to further my education while playing the sport I love,” Johnson wrote. “I would like to thank that recruited me during the time and noticing that I had the potential to be a D1 quarterback.
“I also would like to thank my brothers on the team for accepting me into a brotherhood that I am very thankful for.
After at least a season at the JUCO, it’s expected that Johnson will attempt to move back to the FBS level.
Johnson was a three-star member of the Southern Miss football Class of 2019. The Memphis native was rated as the No. 25 pro-style quarterback in the country. He was easily the Golden Eagles’ highest-rated signee that year.
Johnson very likely would’ve entered the 2020 season behind the incumbent, Jack Abraham. A year ago, Abraham completed nearly 68 percent of his 405 passes for 3,496 yards, 19 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Earlier this offseason, Southern Miss actually added a target for Abraham to its football roster. In January, tight end Grayson Gunter announced that he will be transferring to the Conference USA school from Arkansas.