Biography
Jaguar Highlights: Enters his final season at the collegiate level slated to start at running back and serve as the Jaguars’ primary kick returner ... Named second-team preseason all-Sun Belt Conference as a running back by Athlon Sports, with the organization also tabbing him preseason third-team all-league as a kickoff return specialist ... Earned second-team preseason all-league recognition as a kick returner and third-team honors at running back from Phil Steele Publications ... Chosen first-team preseason all-Sun Belt as an all-purpose back by Lindy’s and Southern Pigskin as well ... Was held out of the Jags’ annual spring game but had 23 yards on just four attempts in the opening scrimmage of the spring season, which included scoring the offense’s lone rushing touchdown from three yards out ... Was the most improved offensive player in the spring strength and conditioning program.
As A Junior (2016): Played in all but one game with nine starts ... Chosen honorable mention all-Sun Belt Conference ... Was named second-team all-league as a running back and kick return specialist by Phil Steele Publications also ... Led USA with 831 yards rushing, 10 rushing touchdowns, 523 yards on kickoff returns and 1,440 all-purpose yards, and also caught 13 passes for 86 yards ... Paced the Sun Belt in all-purpose yards and was fifth in rushing, ending up among the top 100 individuals in the country in both categories ... Among the top 10 in the conference in kickoff return average and scoring as well ... Ranked second on the school’s season record lists for rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards and all-purpose yards per contest, third in yards rushing and total touchdowns scored, and fourth in average rushing yards per game and kickoff return yards ... Led South in rushing on 10 occasions, including in each of the team’s last seven outings ... Recorded a team-leading 19 plays of 20-plus yards ... Named the final SBC Offensive Player of the Week after carrying 21 times for career highs of 154 yards and three touchdowns in win over New Mexico State that helped the Jaguars gain postseason bowl eligibility ... Ended up with 250 all-purpose yards against the Aggies after adding four kickoff returns for another 93 ... Also scored three times in defeat of Nicholls, running for 103 yards and two touchdowns and returning two kickoffs for another 129 including taking back the opening kickoff 95 yards for a 7-0 advantage ... Caught three passes for 24 yards to post a season-best 256 all-purpose yards against the Colonels, earning both the coaches’ offensive back and “War Daddy” awards ... Gained 116 yards on just 10 attempts in victory over Presbyterian — including a season-long 70-yard run for a score — to receive the “War Daddy” award following the contest ... Had 58 yards and two touchdowns on only six rushes in opening quarter of match-up with rival Troy before injury knocked him out the rest of the game ... Collected 189 all-purpose yards at Louisiana-Monroe, with 93 coming on 16 carries and 81 on four kick returns ... Ran for 83 yards and finished with 142 total the previous outing in Homecoming victory over Georgia State to collect the coaches’ offensive back award ... Finished with 83 yards on 14 attempts at Idaho ... Averaged 11 yards per carry with four attempts for 44 yards against Air Force at the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl ... Posted 148 all-purpose yards at Louisiana-Lafayette including 90 on four kickoff returns.
As A Sophomore (2015): Was an honorable mention all-Sun Belt Conference selection after setting school season records with 1,447 all-purpose yards and 956 yards rushing ... Ranked sixth in the league and among the top 40 nationally with 123.08 all-purpose yards per outing, and was ninth in the SBC and among the top 70 in the country after posting 79.67 yards per game on the ground ... Also averaged a school season record 31.36 yards per kick return ... Ran for 100-plus yards in five contests — the most in a season by a Jaguar running back against NCAA Division I opponents — to tie the school season standard ... Ranked fifth in the program’s season record books with nine total touchdowns which included scored a team-best seven rushing ... Added nine receptions for 82 yards and a score ... Paced the squad with 18 plays and five scores of 20-plus yards ... Earned the coaches’ offensive back award following wins over Louisiana-Lafayette, Idaho and Gardner-Webb, sharing special teams honors against the Vandals ... Set school game record with 289 all-purpose yards to help USA overcome a 24-point deficit and defeat Idaho, with a school-record-tying 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown and 148 yards and a score on just nine carries … Rushed for a career-best 142 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, in victory at Mountain West Conference champion San Diego State … Recorded 118 yards and two scores in win over UL-Lafayette, finishing with 184 all-purpose yards … Gained 121 yards on only seven attempts in season-opening win over Gardner-Webb, adding a 56-yard touchdown reception to record 177 all-purpose yards while earning the coaches’ “War Daddy” weekly award ... Clinched the victory with a 92-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, the longest in program history ... Had 112 yards on only 18 carries in season finale against Appalachian State ... Posted 131 all-purpose yards in win at Troy, including a game-high 91 yards rushing … Had three kick returns for 120 yards at Georgia State ... Ran nine times for a team-leading 93 yards at Texas State ... Averaged four yards per carry at Nebraska.
As A Redshirt Freshman (2014): Appeared in all but one contest, recording 451 all-purpose yards to rank fifth on the team in the category ... Finished second on the squad with 438 yards rushing while averaging 5.4 yards per carry ... Also caught four passes for 13 yards ... Recorded a career-best 107 yards and his first touchdown as a Jaguar in victory over Troy, earning the coaches’ offensive back award after the contest ... Rushed 10 times for a team-high 70 yards in Appalachian State win, also recovering a fumbled punt return in the fourth quarter to set up a USA scoring drive ... Posted 72 all-purpose yards in Georgia State victory, with 58 yards on nine attempts and a career-high two catches — sharing the team lead in the category — for 14 more ... Had 43 yards rushing at Louisiana-Lafayette ... Finished with 34 yards on six attempts in regular-season finale against Navy and had seven carries for 37 yards in match-up with Sun Belt Conference champion Georgia Southern ... Thirty-one yard rush at Arkansas State was the longest of his career ... Carried seven times for 21 yards against Bowling Green at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl ... Gained 17 yards on only two attempts in win over Texas State before departing with an injury.
As A Freshman (2013): Did not play while sitting out as a redshirt.
High School Highlights: Each of the three recruiting services rated him as a two-star prospect … Was rated among the top 30 running backs in Florida by ESPN.com … A four-year letterwinner at Chamberlain High ... As a senior, rushed for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury ... Collected honorable mention all-state and first-team all-district honors … Recorded more than 2,000 total yards and 18 touchdowns his junior season — with nearly 1,736 of those and 16 scores coming on the ground — to be named second-team all-state and first-team all-district ... Lettered in track for the Chiefs as well.
Personal: Full name is Xavier J. Johnson ... Born July 27, 1993, in Tampa, Fla. ... Son of Michael and Tiffany Brown ... Is the youngest of three boys ... Enjoys playing video games in his free time ... Also had offers from Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Toledo, Marshall and Massachusetts ... Major is interdisciplinary studies.
