Scouting Journals for Avery Johnson

Three-sport star who is one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the 2023 cycle. Dynamic athlete for the position with speed and leaping ability that stacks up among wide receiver and defensive back prospects. An explosive mover both as an off-schedule playmaker and runner in the open field. Led his team to a state title appearance as a junior, passing for 2,550 yards and 20 touchdowns against six interceptions while rushing for 1,080 yards and 22 more scores. Makes plays against pressure in part due to his outstanding foot quickness. Has an elongated motion on Friday nights, but looks to have made progress in tightening things up prior to his senior season. Showed improved passing skills in the camp setting, generating good velocity and spinning the ball the best we’ve seen. Tests as a strong athlete, running a 4.54 second 40-yard dash and jumping nearly 37 inches in the vertical. Doubles as a standout in basketball, where he has above-the-rim bounce and baseball. Will need to add weight to his thinner 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame.

Avery Johnson showed continued progress as a passer during his time at the Elite 11 Finals. As we’ve noted in the past, Johnson is arguably the best athlete at quarterback in the 2023 cycle with speed and bounce that is on par with top receiver and defensive back prospects. But Johnson showed he’s much more than an athlete this week. We saw improved velocity and a tightened motion from the Maize (Kan.) High three-sport star. Johnson probably wavered the most in 7-on-7 work on Thursday, finishing 9 of 17 with one touchdown and one interception. Still, it was a positive showing overall.

Avery Johnson has been viewed as one of, if not the most athletic quarterback prospect in the cycle for some time. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder is an explosive athlete who stacks up well with top wide receiver and defensive back prospects in that regard. He lands in this group due to strides he showed as a passer at the Elite 11’s Nashville regional last month. Johnson’s performance was the best we’ve seen him throw in similar settings over the past few years. The ball came out of his hand cleanly and he looks to have added some velocity, as well.