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FAMU football QB RJ Johnson III garnering high praise entering debut: 'A true leader.'
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- FAMU football QB RJ Johnson III garnering high praise entering debut: 'A true leader.'
Excitement surrounds Florida A&M football's season opener versus Howard in the Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium.
Saturday, Aug. 30 marks a fresh start for the Rattlers , who look to rebound from finishing with a 7-5 overall record and 5-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference under then-first-year head coach James Colzie III.
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However, besides the overall game aspect, seeing FAMU's next starting quarterback in action commands the same amount of anticipation.
On Sunday, Aug. 24, to conclude a training camp quarterback battle, Colzie made the long-awaited decision and named RJ Johnson III the Rattlers' starter for the Week 1 game versus the Bison.
It will be Johnson's first college start, let alone playing time.
"The best thing he's done is earn the respect of his teammates," Colzie said.
Florida A&M Rattlers quarterback RJ Johnson III warms up for a training camp football practice on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
Johnson follows the footsteps of FAMU's last two quarterbacks, Jeremy Moussa (2022-2023) and Daniel Richardson (2024), both HBCU All-Americans while playing for the Rattlers. Additionally, Moussa led the Rattlers to a Black College Football National Championship in 2023 .
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Those are big shoes for the debuting redshirt sophomore to fill.
"He's stepping into a spot where he doesn't necessarily need to be a leader right now. We need him to perform well," Colzie said. "But naturally, the quarterback is supposed to be the guy who's supposed to direct everything we need him to do."
Johnson was a late addition to FAMU's 2025 roster, committing on Thursday, May 8, nearly a month after the Rattlers concluded spring football practice.
Johnson transferred to the Historically Black College and University from Toledo , where he played for head coach Jason Candle, whom Colzie deems "one of the best offensive minds in the country."
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Joining Toledo as a freshman in 2023, Johnson spent his entire time watching games from the sidelines. He sat behind Tucker Gleason, who passed for nearly 3,000 yards last season and returned to the team this year.
"RJ has great size and a great arm and was looking for an opportunity," Colzie said of recruiting Johnson, who's listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds.
"He probably could've played a lot of other places. But he wanted to come here because he wanted the opportunity to play. He hasn't started a game in college, but does some great things. He's calm, cool, and collected."
Being a young starting quarterback isn't a situation unfamiliar to Johnson.
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The year was 2019 when coach Bobby May named the Johnson, then a ninth grader, the starting quarterback of Atlanta's Westlake High School football team.
Johnson became a three-star prospect while earning MaxPreps All-American and all-state honors.
The four-year letterman and two-time Westlake Offensive Player of the Year finished his high school football career completing 574 passes out of 869 attempts (66 percent) for 9,042 yards, 79 touchdowns against 22 interceptions. He added 697 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
The Lions went 36-14 during the four-year span of Johnson having the keys to the offense.
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"We're extremely excited that RJ has earned the starting QB job at FAMU — but we're certainly not surprised," said May, now the head football coach at Kell High School near Atlanta.
"Just like we weren't surprised when he won the starting role as a freshman at Westlake. RJ has always risen to the occasion."
RJ Johnson III's leadership travels from the ATL to the Capital City
When speaking with those close to Johnson, the word 'leader' was often used.
Rico Zackery was Johnson's head coach for his senior year at Westlake, the 2022-2023 season. The Lions went 9-4 that season and reached the state tournament quarterfinals for the GHSA's 7A classification, the highest in Georgia high school sports.
RJ Johnson III, a quarterback, transferred to Florida A&M as a redshirt sophomore from Toledo before the 2025 football season. Johnson is an Atlanta native, where he was an All-Star selection out of Westlake High School.
Zackery is now the outside linebackers coach for East Carolina University's football team.
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"I am super proud of RJ for winning the starting job at FAMU. He has always been a leader of men and one that people love to follow," Zackery told the Tallahassee Democrat. "This young man will be successful in life because of how he was raised and the type of young man he has become."
Johnson makes others around him better, with many of his Westlake teammates also going on to have college football careers on the NCAA Division I level.
"RJ Johnson was the heartbeat of our team — a fierce competitor, a true leader, and the kind of player every coach dreams of," May recalled Johnson's time at Westlake. "What he brought to Westlake wasn't just talent, but a relentless drive that elevated everyone around him."
Orange Blossom Classic = Showtime for FAMU football starting QB RJ Johnson III
Sep 4, 2022; Miami, Florida, US; Hard Rock Stadium before the Orange Blossom Classic between Jackson State and Florida A&M.. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson has many weapons on the FAMU offense, such as Preseason HBCU All-American running back Thad Franklin Jr. and wide receiver Goldie Lawrence, who is expected to have a breakout 2025 season .
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Preseason HBCU All-American offensive linemen Charles Davis and Ashton Grable will protect the first-time starting quarterback.
"Obviously, playing a quarterback who's going to be new to our football team ― we got to make sure we take care of him as much as we can," Colzie explained.
"RJ's going to come to play. I feel we got the weapons at the wide receiver spot and like the weapons we have at the running back spot. We made the adjustments we needed to make, and hopefully we can put on a great show for our alumni base and fans this upcoming season."
When Johnson runs on the football field in his No. 12 FAMU jersey at Hard Rock Stadium, the appointed engine to the Rattlers' offense will embark on a new beginning.
Florida A&M Rattlers quarterback RJ Johnson III steps off the plane for the Orange Blossom Classic NCAA football game versus the Howard Bison. The FAMU football team arrived in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday, Aug. 28, two days ahead of the Week 1 matchup.
The Orange Blossom Classic versus Howard serves as a proving ground for Johnson.
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To validate earning the starting quarterback job and showcase the heights he can take the Rattlers , who are chasing their 17th Black College Football National Championship .
"We're excited for him," Colzie said of Johnson. "Getting ready for a very, very good Howard football team ― a guy who's going to be making his first collegiate start, we need to get our quarterback in rhythm."
Florida A&M vs. Howard ― Orange Blossom Classic
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When: Saturday, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.
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Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
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How to watch: ESPNU
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: RJ Johnson III: From Westlake to FAMU football's starting quarterback
