Eye for Talent: Madison Prep’s Landon Johnson had role model to follow
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
When he was younger and looking for a football player to emulate, Landon Johnson didn’t have very far to look.
Johnson had one of college football’s rising stars in his own backyard with the emergence of LSU defensive back Tyran Mathieu, who had risen to almost cult-like status. He was a finalist in 2011 for the Heisman Trophy before leaving the Tigers amid personal problems, only to rehabilitate his career during a 12-year NFL career which ended with the New Orleans Saints.
The manner in which the undersized Mathieu, a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team in the 2010s and Super Bowl champion with Kansas City, could dominate a football game with his instincts and playmaking ability endeared himself to aspiring players such as Johnson. The Madison Prep Academy Swiss Army knife played multiple positions on both sides of the line of scrimmage and was a Class 3A All-State first team choice at return specialist.
The Louisiana Football Coaches Association made Johnson a Class 3A first-team selection at defensive back.
The 6-foot-1,180-pound Johnson has modeled parts of his game with Mathieu in mind, becoming one of the state’s top players that’s now headed to a Power Four Conference school with his recent commitment to TCU.
“Tyran Mathieu was my favorite player,” he said. “I always wanted to be a big-time player. I didn’t get to be the No. 1 player in the nation like I wanted. All I need is my foot in the door. Everyone’s going to feel me.”
Johnson had his fingerprints all over Madison Prep’s 9-3 season a year ago that ended with a 32-30 loss to University High in the Division II select state quarterfinals.
He was the District 6-3A Offensive MVP with more than 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns – completing 77 of 122 passes for 1,517 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added 487 yards on 70 attempts and scored 10 touchdowns, but was equally dangerous as a punter returner – averaging 19.2 yards per return with 498 yards and nine touchdowns.
Because of his length, instincts, and athleticism – sort of like the ‘Honey Badger’ – Johnson also made a name for himself on defense at the safety and nickel positions with 25 tackles and returning two of his three interceptions for scores.
Louisiana Tech thought so much of him that their recruiting efforts resulted in a commitment on March 22 before TCU, which also had made a strong pitch for his services, landed a pledge from Johnson, who made an official visit to the Fort Worth, Texas campus last week.
He also had scholarship offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Tulane, UNLV, and Vanderbilt.
“I said at the time the only school I would flip for would be TCU,” Johnson said. “Now that I’m committed to TCU, there’s nowhere else I have in mind. If someone were to recruit me and show that I’m a priority, anything could happen. I feel good where I’m at.
“TCU’s staff makes it specific on who they want,” Johnson said. “When they offered, they said they were going to recruit me. They didn’t offer a lot of safeties. Knowing that I was a priority for them at a Power 4 school is always a dream. They’re not bringing in a lot of guys, so I feel good going into that situation.”
Johnson, a 3.0 student, said there are two clear objectives for him in 2026.
“I want to be (Louisiana) Gatorade Player of the Year and a state championship,” he said. “I know they want to see the numbers, the yards on offense. On the defensive side, that will come with interceptions and return yards.”
Turn on the film, and you’re likely to find Johnson in a myriad of positions.
He’s played quarterback, running back, and wide receiver in the same game, along with his duties in Madison Prep’s secondary.
“I knew I liked defense last spring,” said Johnson, the state’s No. 39-rated player and nation’s No. 165-rated safety by On3. “(Trainer) Ken Anio told me my money would be on defense, and he wasn’t lying to me. I got bigger over that summer, put on weight and got faster and became more athletic, and went from there. My ball skills on the defensive side are rare. It’s something that a lot of college coaches like.”
Johnson acknowledged that the advantage of playing defense gives him, giving him a greater understanding of passing concepts and route running from his time on offense.
“It helps with my instincts,” he said. “Playing receiver helps me at safety. I know what they’re looking for when we’re in certain coverages. It transfers over from offense.”
Johnson’s 75-yard punt return was his only team’s touchdown in a 14-8 loss to University in their District 6-3A showdown on Oct. 31. Four weeks later, the Chargers were breathing down the Cubs’ necks in a rematch where 62 points were scored.
Vision is a key element in Johnson’s ability to thrive on special teams. Along with a commitment to blocking, the Chargers create enough space to turn the slightest sliver of daylight into a long gain or touchdown.
In one of his more impressive returns, Johnson picked up a short bounding ball at Port Allen’s 32, reversed his field eight yards, finding clear sailing for a touchdown.
“The game slowed down a lot for me last year,” Johnson said. “I see stuff in slow motion on the field, but I’m moving fast. Having speed helps.”
Coach Landry Williams’ club tries to parlay Johnson’s capability to score from anywhere on the field. He can either line up in shotgun formation, feel the pressure, and scramble as he did for a 60-yard touchdown against Southern Lab, or a nifty 45-yard run for another score against Dutchtown.
In his team’s trip to Southside, Johnson showed the ability to hang in the pocket, take a hit, and deliver a pass that went for a 50-yard touchdown in a 35-22 setback.
Johnson routinely wins one-on-one matchups at receiver, regardless of where he lines up.
He took a tunnel screen in a 32-14 win at Southern Lab for a 65-yard touchdown, patiently waiting on his blocks and juking a defender en route to finish off the remainder of the run untouched.
With his quarterback buying time in a jamboree outing with Catholic-Baton Rouge, Johnson came back on an underthrown ball to make a 38-yard catch for a touchdown.
Johnson, who played cornerback on Madison Prep’s state semifinalist team in 2024, was reminiscent of Mathieu in the manner he could impact a game on defense from varying places on the field last season.
He stepped up from his cornerback position for an interception he returned for 22 yards in a 48-41 road win over Dutchtown.
Johnson showed tight cover skills against Catholic High, forcing his receiver toward the boundary and into an incompletion.
He also showed his aggressiveness to come up from the corner spot and helped force the issue off the edge, making tackles for loss against Dutchtown and Catholic.
“It’s just a kill mentality on the defensive side,” Johnson said. “There’s no player on the offensive side that will make the play that I make on them when I’m on defense. It’s having that 1-on-1 mentality that you’re not going to score on me.”
Madison Prep, which won the Class 3A state championship in 2020, will remain a Division II select team despite moving up in classification to play in District 6-4A for the first time.
The Chargers, who faced Acadiana in their spring scrimmage, will face another difficult non-district schedule this fall. After a scrimmage with Central and a jamboree with Liberty Magnet, they will travel to both Jesuit and Zachary and retain their rivalry with U-High in the second week of the season.
Madison Prep hosts Scotlandville and Brusly in district play, with road games set at Plaquemine, St. Michael the Archangel, and McKinley.
“I want to play the best,” Johnson said. “The schedule shows that I’ve played at a 3A school, but the 4A and 5A guys are no different to me. I could go to any of those schools and be the guy at their schools.”
A battle among three players for the team’s starting quarterback position is expected to allow Johnson to focus his playmaking talents at wide receiver.
The two-year defensive starter returns where he expects to influence that side of the ball.
“All of our quarterbacks are good; the plan is for me to not have to get back there,” Johnson said. “Just get me the ball in space. I’m looking forward to making plays like I did last year. Getting the ball in my hands and being special with the ball. I’ll play anywhere I’m needed.
“I want to show my leadership that we can get it done here as well,” Johnson said. “You can get to college from anywhere. You’ve got to be a baller, and that’s what I’m trying to show the younger guys. When the season comes, we’ll see what happens. I’m locked in.”