FAMU football QB RJ Johnson III aces test during 'maturation process' at Alabama A&M
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RJ Johnson III looked like a man poised and unfazed while running the Florida A&M offense on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The redshirt sophomore willed the Rattlers to a 26-23 Week 12 road victory versus the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. He completed 20 out of 24 passing attempts for 299 yards and had four total touchdowns, three passing, one rushing.
It was Johnson’s second-highest yardage output and career high for single-game touchdowns as the Rattlers moved to 5-5 on the season and 4-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
“That kind of goes with the talent of RJ,” FAMU head football coach James Colzie III told Tallahassee media in a postgame Zoom call on Saturday.
Johnson transferred to FAMU from Toledo this summer, just months before the season began in August.
Saturday was his ninth career start, let alone appearance in a college football game.
The Atlanta native has seen downs ― indecisiveness in the pocket, inconsistent play, and failing to cross the 200 passing yard threshold in three games this season, all losses.
It ultimately led him to get benched for backup Jett Peddy in FAMU’s Week 7 game versus North Carolina Central, a demoralizing 45-7 home blowout for the Rattlers at the hands of one of HBCU football’s top teams.
“We all saw some of the stuff earlier this year,” Colzie said. “We were having some guys wide open, and we weren’t getting the ball to them.”
However, Johnson has also experienced highs by leading FAMU’s offensive surge, as the team has won four of its last five games.
Nine different receivers had receptions versus Alabama A&M.
Kenari Wilcher led the way with four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. He was named SWAC TV’s Gatorade Player of the Game.
Jalen ‘Speedy’ Rogers also added a touchdown catch, a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter that would be the game-winner for the Rattlers.
“That’s just the maturation process for RJ. That’s something that’s been brewing all year,” the FAMU coach spoke of his starting quarterback.
FAMU football heavily relies on QB RJ Johnson III, who’s near top of SWAC stats
On the season, Johnson has completed 173 out of 263 passes, 66 percent, for 2,086 yards, thrown 14 touchdowns against just one interception.
He’s second in the SWAC in completions, completion percentage, and passing yards.
But the second-year FAMU head coach said Johnson is just scratching the surface.
FAMU may be out of the SWAC and HBCU postseason race this season. But Colzie feels the young signal caller can take the Rattlers to new heights in the years to come.
“There’s so much room to improve,” Colzie said. “We’re excited with some of the things that he does. There are times when he may miss a read or a throw. You’re seeing the growth. It tells you the limit for him. The sky’s the limit for this young man.”
Much of FAMU’s offensive pressure has been on Johnson.
The Rattlers have struggled to find a consistent rushing attack. They are second-to-last in SWAC rushing statistics, only leading the one-win Mississippi Valley State in the category.
That has forced Johnson to be nearly perfect at times.
For example, on Saturday, FAMU had just 93 rushing yards on 28 attempts versus Alabama A&M, one of the worst run defenses in the SWAC. Meanwhile, Johnson completed 83 percent of his passes en route to squeaking out the victory.
“Looking at some of the goals we set for ourselves offensively, not being able to get over that 100-150-yard mark rushing the football, that means we’re going to have to throw the football a heck of a lot more,” Colzie said.
“That’s not something we always want to do with RJ. But we were able to do it ― have some success. Receivers made some great catches.”
FAMU football QB RJ Johnson III set to make Florida Classic debut vs Bethune-Cookman
Johnson’s improvements from game one to game ten stem from his close work with FAMU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Henry Burris.
“Every game, he gains more experience,” Colzie said of Johnson. “He’s just got to continue to improve and take his coaching. Coach Burris works his tail off for him and with him.”
Johnson will play the biggest game of his football career next Saturday, Nov. 22.
The Rattlers will meet their longtime in-state rival, Bethune-Cookman, for the annual Florida Classic at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Bethune-Cookman (5-6, 4-3 in SWAC) will look to rebound from Saturday’s 28-13 road loss to SWAC East frontrunner Jackson State.
No matter what else transpires during a FAMU football season, winning the Florida Classic is a requirement for Rattlers fans and the program to deem the season a success or salvage some of the struggles the team faced in 2025.
FAMU has owned Florida Classic bragging rights over Bethune-Cookman for four years in a row, dating back to 2021.
“No matter who we’re playing next week, it’s important to have confidence in the guy who’s going to throw the football to you,” Colzie said.
Florida A&M Football’s Remaining 2025 Schedule
All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
- Week 13: Saturday, Nov. 22 ― vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Makeup Game: Saturday, Nov. 29 ― at Mississippi Valley State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Dec. 6 ― SWAC Championship Game (If Necessary)
- Saturday, Dec. 13 ― Celebration Bowl at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (If Necessary)
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.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M football QB RJ Johnson starting to come into his own
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