Emmett Johnson had a phenomenal final season for the Nebraska football team. That would have been true if he hadn't gotten multiple mentions for First-Team All-Americans. Still, on Wednesday, he was named to several lists, making his season historical for the Huskers program.
Johnson is NU's first running back since 2011 to get first-team All-American mentions and just the fourth RB in 70 years at the school to earn first-team honors. This comes on the heels of Johnson being named the running back of the year in the Big Ten. He's been dominant in the second half of the campaign and is now ready to head to the NFL and ply his trade in the pros.
The list of publications that believe the Nebraska running back is one of the best in the country is impressive. CBS Sports named him to their first team AA team at the All-Purpose position. This comes from rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 46 passes for 370 yards and another 3 TDs.
A breakout Emmett Johnson campaign delivers rare accolades and a timely recruiting boost for Nebraska football
Sports Illustrated has him as a first-teamer as a running back, and so does PFSN. On3 also put him on the first team as an all-purpose player, and The Athletic put him on the second team.
It's not just that Johnson put together a historic season for the program. It's also about what Nebraska can do with this kind of season on the recruiting front. Being able to show that EJ went from a talented complementary piece to one of the best backs in the country can be a real draw. It's the best of both worlds for the Cornhuskers program.