Less than six months ago, Gators fans across the country grimaced as third-year defensive back Dijon Johnson went down with an injury to his right knee in the second half of UF’s 26-7 loss to Miami on Sept. 20. Johnson underwent surgery to repair his meniscus just two days later, a procedure that sidelined him for the remainder of his redshirt sophomore campaign.
Fast forward to March, and Johnson is ready. He’s feeling good about attacking his rehab and believes he’s prepared to step into a leadership role in 2026. Though he has been a non-contact player in practice and said he needs to get his feet wet again, Johnson was adamant that he can now cut and move with confidence just under half a year removed from surgery.
“Each and every day has just been a grind, and I’m excited to be on the field,” Johnson said. “I’ve got a mindset of ‘I want to be the best,’ and that’s off the field and on the field. So I attack each and every day with a purpose.”
After logging 25 tackles and two pass break-ups through 13 games and five starts in 2024, Johnson started in Florida’s first four games of 2025 and filled the role of one of UF’s primary outside defensive backs prior to his injury. He had already racked up eight tackles and an interception before injury struck.
With the departure of Devin Moore to the NFL Draft, and Johnson as a fourth-year defensive back, it is only natural for the latter to step into the vocal leadership role that Moore provided for the Gators in 2025. The keys to this leadership, Johnson said, include having the right attitude and fostering a connectedness within his position group.
Part of his emergence as a leader began during the recruiting process, where Johnson said he helped newly hired cornerbacks coach Brandon Harris recruit some of Florida’s key returners. As someone deeply committed to Florida, Johnson felt that it fell on him to motivate some of his teammates to return.
“I’m a Gator, you know what I mean? So I told [Harris] I was in, and we just had to get the rest of the guys on board,” Johnson said. “I had to tell the guys, ‘Let’s do it.’ We had unfinished business, so it was good to tell all the guys to come back.”
Another key piece of Johnson’s improved leadership was shown in a visit to the Cheesecake Factory in early January. He decided to take his teammates out to eat to connect with them and set a positive tone for 2026. He said their visit to the Cheesecake Factory was the first time that he individually told the guys how he’s feeling and what his goals are going forward.
Entering his fourth season in Gainesville, Johnson is focused on pouring his knowledge into UF’s younger backs and teaching them how to navigate the day-by-day process that comes with playing football at a renowned university. Now, he said they have a night out every Wednesday, ranging from grabbing a bite to eat to bowling.
“I’m the oldest in the room, so it’s only right for me to be the voice,” Johnson said.
The biggest thing Johnson wants to see out of his defense in 2026 is greater production and more takeaways. Every UF player who had either multiple interceptions or multiple forced fumbles in 2025 did not return to Gainesville, leaving the Gators without their largest takeaway threats. Johnson said getting more takeaways in 2026 would help round out UF’s defense and allow it to stand out.
With UF just four practices into the spring, competition for starting positions will become much more prevalent as the offseason progresses. As of now, Johnson is expected to start alongside fellow redshirt junior Cormani McClain, who logged 18 tackles and an interception through 10 games and six starts in 2025.
“I feel like we’re a very special group, me and Cormani, we can do big things,” Johnson said. “We’ve just got to trust in the process each and every day and show up with the right attitude and mindset that we want to be the best tandem in the country.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a junior sports journalism student in his fourth semester at The Alligator. He is currently the sports desk's football and enterprise beat writer, and previously served as a reporter for men's tennis, sports enterprise and football. He is currently pursuing a public relations minor and is an avid Duval sports fan. (#DTWD)
