Report: Former Ohio State walk-on Xavier Johnson agrees to UDFA deal with Buffalo Bills

Former Ohio State walk-on Xavier Johnson has agreed to a deal with Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent, per report.

Johnson, a Cincinnati native that spent six years as a Buckeye, combined for 26 receptions good for 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his career. His only recorded receiving statistics came over the past two years, and during that stretch has been used from time to time out of the backfield.

He amassed 190 rushing yards on 28 attempts this past season, and more impressively logged 146 yards on 12 carries in 2022 for a massive 12.2 yard per carry average thanks to a 71-yard score against Indiana. He also scored a touchdown against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal that same year.

Not only has Ryan Day been able to play him at multiple position on offense, but Johnson played a big role in special teams for Ohio State during the 2022 and 2023 season, specifically as the Buckeyes’ kickoff returner. He fielded 23 kickoffs for 519 yards over that stretch, and had fielded at least one kickoff in every year since 2019.

Now, Johnson is being awarded the opportunity to try and make the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster this offseason despite not receiving an invitation to the NFL Combine. That type of pressure is nothing new for Johnson — who didn’t receive his scholarship until the 2021 season. He’s had the odds stacked against him before, and it’s on him to make the most of it once again.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Johnson said of his journey at Ohio State’s Pro Day, via On3’s Andy Backstrom. “From when I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to play football at the professional level. I started playing football when I was 5, I’ve never missed a season. So it’s been the love of my life for the last 19 years.

“To look back on that as a little kid out there playing and practicing with my older brother, getting his drills and different things like that, and fast forward all the way to this point, this process has been surreal. It’s been nothing short of a blessing.”

Before enrolling at Ohio State, Johnson was a three-star recruit out of Summit Country (OH) Day School, per the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 807 player in the 2018 class and turned down nearly a dozen offers, including one to play at Cincinnati, to be a Buckeye.