Mossi Johnson had Ishmael Adams in a headlock.
The freshman wide receiver and the junior cornerback rolled on the ground Monday as teammates and coaches rushed toward them, their whistles blaring. Moments later, after the scuffle died down, the two lined up against each other once again as the offense ran another pass play – coach Jim Mora wanted to test them.
But there’s no need to test Johnson’s toughness; he’s proven that already in his short stint at UCLA this spring.
“He has a nasty streak in him,” said redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley. “He’s scrappy and that’s what you want from a receiver, one who’s gonna go out and hit a DB in the mouth and run back and burn a DB on the next play.”
Johnson has checked both of those off his list this spring.
Despite toting a bulky brace on his left knee for extra support after suffering a torn ACL his senior year of high school, Johnson has emerged as one of Hundley’s favorite targets this spring and has looked spry and quick, creating separation from defenders with ease.
Given the usual severity of such an injury for wide receivers, who rely heavily on quick cuts, Johnson’s breakout performance has been one of the biggest surprises of the spring. But not everyone was shocked by his play.
“I shouldn’t say he surprised me,” said wide receivers coach Eric Yarber. “He worked his tail off to come back, but you can’t even notice that he had an injury. He can put either foot in the ground and change directions; there’s not like a lingering effect from that injury.”
While the structural damage may seem completely healed, recovering from an ACL injury is a mental process as well. Johnson, however, plays with an intensity that betrays no trepidation or lack of confidence. He welcomes contact with defenders, taking hits as he runs drags over the middle; he throws his body through the air and to the ground to make catches on slightly errant passes. There’s no sign of hesitancy to give it his all, despite the constant reminder of his knee’s vulnerability that his brace provides.
“I felt like if I could just not think about it and just go and not baby it, then I probably feel like no harm’s gonna hurt it,” Johnson said. “What’s the worst that could happen, I injure it again?”
Reckless? Perhaps. Confident? Certainly.
Johnson has his sights set on seeing plenty of field time in his first season.
“I came in just having a mindset that I could play and … (I’m) coming in just trying to be a true freshman playing, not trying to redshirt,” Johnson said.
Johnson clearly has a plan set in place for how he wants his freshman year to play out. But that plan is different from what it was just a few months ago.
Johnson was recruited as an athlete, but the prevailing notion was that he would play defensive back for the Bruins. Upon enrolling at UCLA in the winter, however, Johnson switched to receiver, which he also played in high school. For Yarber, it didn’t come as a shock.
“What he is, is just a true football player. You put him in the slot or you put him outside and he’s just gonna find a way to make plays with his athleticism,” Yarber said. “If you put him on defense, he’s gonna find a way to make plays and cover people. He’s just a football player and you can’t have enough of those guys on your team.”
But for offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, Johnson’s switch to offense came as a welcome surprise, a new toy for him to toss into his offense. After Johnson’s standout play throughout spring practice, Mazzone admitted he’s even more excited.
“All the sudden he just shows up on my doorstep ’cause he was a defensive guy and wants to play offense,” Mazzone said.
Now blossoming as a second-team slot receiver, Johnson is at the door, and he’s knocking.