Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson: The Next Cam Newton?

AUBURN, Ala. — "He was born to be a quarterback."

Former Carver (Montgomery) High School wide receiver Landy Capetillo could see the Jeremy Johnson hype coming from a mile away.

"I knew it way before high school," he told Bleacher Report. "I have known Jeremy and played football with him since we were both six years old. I knew Jeremy was going to be somebody great then."

But just how great will Johnson be?

As great as, say, former Auburn quarterback, national champion and 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton?

Player	Height	Weight	40-Yard Dash Time
Cam Newton	6'6"	250	4.58
Jeremy Johnson	6'5"	240	4.60

It sounds lofty, but the comparison is unavoidable.

Massive stature? Check.

Big arm? Check.

Ability to make an impact on the ground? Check.

A system led by Gus Malzahn that leads quarterbacks to instant stardom? Check.

Johnson himself hasn't exactly done much to put those comparisons to bed. According to James Crepea of AL.com, Johnson gave himself a goal this year that even Newton didn't achieve while on the Plains:

Johnson has had plenty of time to get to know Newton over the last two seasons, as Newton finished up his Auburn degree during the spring.

"Jeremy spent time with Cam when Cam was here in the spring, and I know they talked numerous times," Malzahn said in May. "[Johnson] is his own person, and he knows that. He's just trying to take as much wisdom from Cam as he can have."

When asked specifically at media days to compare himself to Newton and what kind of influence the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner has had on his career over the last couple of seasons, Johnson did his best Newton impression by side-stepping the question.

"My main focus right now is just to get better each and every game and take whatever individual accolades that come with that," he said.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

That didn't stop Malzahn from comparing the two prior to his Tiger Trek stop in Atlanta in May.

"They're both great leaders and lead by example with their work ethic," he said. "They're both extremely coachable. They allow you to coach them hard."

The rising junior signal-caller even followed the same path as Newton in terms of when he earned the starting nod from Malzahn. Johnson was tabbed as the Tigers' starter shortly after spring practice, which is when the Newton comparisons kicked into high gear.

Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

For good reason.

Johnson is much more polished as a passer than Newton was when he arrived at Auburn. He lit up Arkansas to the tune of 243 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of the season opener last year and showed off the timing, arm strength and comfort in the offense of a veteran. 

"I've been in this system for three years now," Johnson said at SEC media days. "Even when I wasn't playing, I've always been competing as a starter. My time is here now, and I'm blessed. I've been preparing for a start since I got to Auburn, so I felt like a starter but I wasn't playing, and now that my time is here, I can release everything that I had inside me while I was sitting out those two years."

That last sentence should terrify people, because "releasing everything" likely means much more on the ground than the 40 total rushing yards and one rushing touchdown Johnson had in the last two seasons.

"When I watched him last year, he seemed to be more of a threat with his arm and was more of a physical runner when he did run," ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. "[Cam] used to weave around defenses, outrun them, run over top of them. He was a special athlete. I have not seen enough of Jeremy Johnson to speculate that he is going to become that guy."

His high school coach has, though. Technically, Johnson was a pro-style prospect in the class of 2013, but that didn't stop him from lighting up opposing defenses on the ground as well as through the air.

"He has the size and the speed," said Billy Gresham, Johnson's coach at Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. "A lot of people see his size and think he can't run, but he's a very athletic kid. In high school, his senior year, he rushed for close to 700 yards. A lot of those were on called quarterback runs."

One look at Johnson's high school tape, and you'll see "Cam Newton" written all over his ground game (specifically at the 1:10 and 2:05 marks of the video above).

"Jeremy has the speed of a receiver and maybe even a running back," Capetillo said. "He is big, and he is strong. And he can get away from a defender very quickly. Just when they think they have gotten him. Jeremy can quickly break away from them and take out up the field."

That's not only something that can be gleaned from his high school tape but also something his head coach has pointed out.

"He can make every throw that you ask him to do, but he's a better runner than people think," Malzahn said. "We didn't ask him to run the past couple of years, but he's a big, athletic guy. He probably runs a 4.6. So he will allow us to call all of our offense."

Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

Add that running ability to his pro-style arm and Malzahn's play-calling acumen, and Auburn has a recipe for success.

"This offense has an opportunity with him leading it to be pretty dynamic," Herbstreit said. "When it comes to Gus' offense, whether it's [former starter] Nick Marshall—who's quick and gets to the perimeter with his feet and can run and do so many things creating—obviously he can have success. Or if it's a guy who's more comfortable throwing the football, he tends to adjust to the skill set of his quarterback as well as anybody in the country."

The comparisons to Newton exist for a good reason, but Johnson is much more likely to write his own legacy than follow in Cam's footsteps.

After all, he already has.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Johnson came to Auburn as a high school legend. The former "Mr. Football" in the state of Alabama also led his team to a state basketball title in 2012 and "Super 5" hoops honors by the Alabama Sports Writers in 2013, narrowly missing out on the "Mr. Basketball" award won by De'Runnya Wilson—who just so happens to be a star wide receiver at Mississippi State.

"He was a top-level basketball player in high school," Gresham said. "He played the 2 and the 3 in basketball, so he moves very well."

That athleticism and hoops pedigree might help him when he's called upon to lower his shoulder on the football field this fall.

"One thing I think he brings to the basketball court that he doesn't get to do a lot in football is his physicality," Gresham told AL.com's Matt Scalici in February 2013. "He's usually trying to avoid contact in football, but in basketball, he's not afraid of contact at all. He really shows a lot of toughness out there."

Like Newton, Johnson is a special athlete. He's gifted as a passer and a runner and is in the perfect system under Malzahn for those attributes to come to the forefront in 2015.

The Cam comparisons are there and will be there as long as Johnson is the quarterback on the Plains. That hype, which has exploded to the point that Johnson is now listed as a primary contender for the Heisman Trophy, won't get into Johnson's head.

"For him, it's just doing whatever he needs to do to have his team be successful and be the best player he can be," Gresham told Bleacher Report. "He's always been the kind of player who never got caught up in the news and the outside world. He just controlled what he could control. As for him being a quarterback, that includes the locker room and his ability to lead a team on and off the field. 

"I don't think the hype will get to him. Naturally, he hears it, and he sees it, but I don't think it's a huge factor. I think Auburn has done a great job trying to keep him level."

Instead of trying to replicate the past, though, Johnson could be recognized for what he is and what he will be to the Auburn football program and college football.

The first Jeremy Johnson.

"Jeremy is 'Heisman Trophy winner' good," Capetillo said. "He is just that good."

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93 XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter: @BarrettSallee.