Max Johnson’s college journey has turned into one of those strange, grind-it-out football stories that keeps stretching on. The former Texas A&M quarterback has now landed on The Athletic’s “All-Geezer Team” ahead of the 2026 season, and the path that got him there has been anything but ordinary.
Johnson’s time in College Station came during a messy stretch for Texas A&M under Jimbo Fisher, when quarterback health was a constant issue. Fisher did inherit Kellen Mond, who gave the Aggies four straight seasons without missing a game, but the rest of the position quickly became a revolving door. In 2023, Texas A&M opened the year with big hopes around redshirt freshman Conner Weigman, only for that plan to fall apart in the fourth game against Auburn when Weigman suffered a foot injury that ended his first starting season.
That pushed Johnson into the lineup for the rest of the year, and he took plenty of punishment along the way. After the win over Auburn, the Aggies fell to Alabama at home and Tennessee on the road, then beat South Carolina at home before Johnson nearly dragged them back against No.
10 Ole Miss. He reportedly played that game with broken ribs, and his season ended after the 38-35 loss.
That defeat likely marked the end of Fisher’s run at Texas A&M, and once Mike Elko was hired just weeks after the 2023 season, Johnson headed back into the transfer portal and chose North Carolina.
His career still had another major hurdle waiting. After suffering a near career-ending leg injury, Johnson worked his way back for one more season with the Tarheels, and now he’s moved on again, this time to Georgia Southern for his sixth and final college season.
The Athletic’s writeup on the “All-Geezer Team” put his path in plain terms: “Johnson, who led this team last season as well, is now on his fourth school in seven years after spending two seasons each at LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina. Injuries have repeatedly derailed the one-time SEC starter (his best season came in 2021 at LSU), who has played in just 17 games over the past four seasons. By year’s end, though, he’ll be able to say he was coached by all of the following: Ed Orgeron, Jimbo Fisher, Mack Brown, Bill Belichick and Clay Helton.”
That’s a rare coaching list for anyone, let alone the son of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson. Max Johnson may not even be locked in as Georgia Southern’s starter, but the fact that he’s still suiting up after that leg injury says plenty about how much he’s fought to stay on the field.
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