When Florida initially recruited Fred Johnson during Jim McElwain’s first recruiting cycle at UF in 2015, it saw a towering, athletic offensive tackle at 6 feet, 6 inches tall with loads of potential and plenty of room to grow as a football player.

After all, Johnson’s experience playing against quality talent isn’t too expansive. At Royal Palm Beach High School, Johnson played two years of varsity football but saw a significant role in the rotation only during his senior season. That year was impressive enough for Johnson to draw the attention of numerous FBS programs, including the Gators.

As a freshman at Florida last season, Johnson was still a bit raw but regardless was thrown into the fire, given UF’s lack of depth along the offensive line. He appeared in eight games as a true freshman, starting two at right tackle against Vanderbilt and Michigan.