L.J. Johnson Jr. is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley after previous stops at Texas A&M and SMU. A native of Cypress, Texas, Johnson earned four-star recruiting status and was one of the top running back prospects in the state of Texas before committing to Texas A&M in the 2021 class. He appeared in just 10 games across two seasons with the Aggies, totaling limited carries before entering the transfer portal and joining SMU, where he posted 576 rushing yards on 109 carries with four touchdowns in 2023 and followed it with 303 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. He transferred to Cal for his final season and appeared in seven games for the Bears, tallying 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns as a committee back in their ACC schedule.
Measured at 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, Johnson is a compact and powerful runner known for his contact balance, one-cut explosiveness, and functional lower-body strength that allows him to break arm tackles and finish runs with forward lean. He carries verified speed in the 4.3-second range in the 40-yard dash and has shown the ability to contribute as a receiver out of the backfield, a trait that could give him value in space-oriented offenses. His production at Cal was limited due to injury and a committee role, which is a concern for evaluators, but his physical profile and pass-catching ability give him a chance to earn developmental consideration entering the 2026 NFL Draft process as a late-round or priority free agent candidate.
