New Bears in Town: Cal Grad Transfer ILB Liam Johnson

This spring, the Bears added Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year grad transfer Liam Johnson‍ from Princeton. The 6-0/225 veteran ILB will compete with fellow grad transfer Teddye Buchanan‍ to start at MLB opposite Freshman All-American ILB Cade Uluave in fall camp and adds significant playing experience and leadership to the Cal linebacker room.

As a senior in 2023, Johnson totaled 83 tackles, 3 sacks and an interception. In 2022, the new Bear piled up 90 tackles and two defensive touchdowns in his back-to-back first team all-conference seasons.

"I think a couple of things that I bring are leadership and always having a big motor on the field," Johnson noted of what he brings to the field as a player. "I think I was obviously gifted to play at the D1 level. I've never really prided myself on natural ability. I think intangibles have carried me to places that I never thought I could get to. And I think leadership is one of those things that I think I've been able to differentiate myself with, just being a consistent guy on the field leading by example."

Johnson was able to earn a prestigious degree from Princeton this spring and will now be able to add to his academic credentials with his studies at Cal while competing at a Power 5 level.

"Yeah, 100%," Johnson said. "I think when I was coming out of Princeton, I was like, you know, I want to grad transfer to somewhere where it's high academics, and it's also incredible football, and I think Cal's about as high up as you can get in that tier. So I think it's been really cool to get this opportunity. I'm really grateful and blessed to be here."

The mental edge Johnson brings to the field will be a welcome addition to a fairly think Cal inside linebackers group this fall, making him a key addition to the 2024 recruiting class.

"I think being a cerebral player is the biggest thing," Johnson noted. "As a middle linebacker, I think it's film study, it's learning the playbook inside and out. It's knowing other guys' positions and how that helps you on the field. I think for a middle linebacker, those are the most important traits. You can be quick, you can be big, strong, but if you don't know where your gap is, you don't know where the rotations are, and how that affects like your run fits, you'll never be a successful player. So I think that's huge."

The New Jersey native is blazing a trail to a Bears program that has seen few players over the years hailing from the Garden State. One of the few to play at Cal was QB Steve Levy, who heroically took over for a struggling Joe Ayoob at QB in 2005 and led the Bears to a victory over BYU in the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.

"I've actually met Steve over an email," Johnson said. "He's a great guy. It's cool to be kind of mentioned in the same breath as him and I think it's cool to be representing New Jersey. I've spent my entire life in New Jersey so to be out here, it's all new. And I think I'm hoping that I can put on for New Jersey and represent really well, because it's been really great to me. Obviously, being at Princeton and being from Morristown, South Jersey. You know, it's really cool to be out here and just kind of work hard."

Cal swimming also has several New Jersey key competitors, including U.S. Olympian Jack Alexy, who will be representing the country at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

"He's actually from Moorestown," Johnson noted. "That's a huge New Jersey conversation. There's Moorestown with an ES and then it has Morristown. But I have heard about him."

Johnson will be joining another highly-touted FCS inside linebacker in UC Davis grad transfer Teddye Buchanan‍. Both have years of starting experience and similar success at their prior programs.

"I think being in a very young room, I think we bring that seniority, breadth to the room," Johnson noted. "And I think we kind of bonded over the fact that we're both grad transfers and both work really hard. And I think it's cool to be alongside someone who works hard and crushes the workouts and is really here to just kind of make a name for himself in the same six-month time period as me."

Johnson will be vying to start alongside returning Freshman All-American inside linebacker Cade Uluave and is anxious to play alongside the talented frosh.

"I think Cade is an incredible player," Johnson said. "He's got an incredible work ethic and it's cool to have the kind of dynamic that we have in this room where it's a couple of older guys and then kind of a big gap to the younger guys. So I'm hoping that I, Teddye, Cade, Hunter (Barth) can kind of bridge the gap and teach these guys as much as we can. And hopefully they can teach us some something as well."

As for what he’s most looking forward to this season?

"I think I never thought I could play at the power five level so I think the biggest thing is just playing at these big stadiums and playing against the best competition in the country," Johnson said. It's inspiring. And like I said, I'm incredibly grateful to be here. Blessed.

"Go Bears!"

Staty tuned for more from the spring arrivals in upcoming New Bears in Town interviews.

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New Bears in Town: Grad Transfer MLB Teddye Buchanan

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