Johnson a solid backup plan for UO.

Byline: Rob Moseley The Register-Guard

In high school, Jeremiah Johnson and Stafon Johnson (no relation) shared the load at running back.

Now that they're both in college, little has changed. At Oregon, Jeremiah Johnson is behind Jonathan Stewart on the depth chart. At USC, meanwhile, Stafon Johnson was one of 10 tailbacks who opened fall camp in competition for the starting job.

So whenever Jeremiah Johnson gets frustrated with his lot and wonders what it might be like to play somewhere else, a quick reflection on his former prep teammate's situation snaps him out of it.

"I look back and say, I could be like him at another school with nine running backs, and be really frustrated," said Johnson, a junior entering his third season sharing the spotlight with Stewart. "I'm real thankful that God put me in this position right here."

As Stewart has struggled to stay healthy the last two years, the Ducks have been equally thankful. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound Johnson had more carries than Stewart three times last season, and twice he had just one fewer.

This season, Johnson seems likely to touch the ball more than ever, with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly pledging to put both running backs on the field at the same time occasionally. Under the circumstances, Johnson just doesn't understand why people think he should be more frustrated.

"I'm out there with him half of the time, so I'm not really tripping on, `Oh, he's getting more carries than me,' ' Johnson said. "When I get in the game, I'm going to do the best I can do with the ball in my hands."

In at least one regard, he does even better than Stewart. Last season, Stewart had 981 rushing yards to lead the Ducks, and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Johnson finished with 644 yards, but averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

And each scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

"They complement each other very well," UO running backs coach Gary Campbell said. "When Jonathan comes out of the game and Jeremiah goes in the game, it's a whole different running back out there, because of his shiftiness, his quickness, his ability to see cutbacks and to keep guys off of his body.

"He's not that power guy, but he's got one of the greatest stiff-arms I've ever coached. He keeps guys off his body, and I wish I would get some of the rest of the guys to do that."

Campbell calls Johnson "maybe our best all-around football player." Johnson can return kicks and punts, play in coverage on special teams and could even, Campbell asserts, fill in at cornerback if necessary.

Johnson seems willing to do it all, and more.

"I'm doing anything to help out the squad," he said. "If you tell me to go out there and play tackle, I'm going to put on some weight and go play tackle."

Johnson and Stewart are among each other's best friends. Coaches made them roommates as freshmen, which may have helped defuse any chance that animosity would develop between them.

Even if they hadn't lived together, Johnson thinks they would be on good terms.

"Me and him together in the same room, it's always a good atmosphere," said Johnson, who Campbell said is most responsible for keeping spirits high among the running backs. "We're kind of the same people, always joking around."

This offseason, Rivals.com named Johnson the No. 2 backup running back in the country. The backup to the best backup, as it were. But Johnson prefers to think of himself and Stewart as co-starters.

"We're out there together," Johnson said. "Like the coaches say, whoever's doing it that day and that game is going to have the load. And then when we've both got it, the other team's going to have troubles."

When he considers that, and his former teammate's logjam at USC, Johnson doesn't dwell too long on the idea of what it would have been like to play anywhere but Oregon.

"I think about it again and think, `I'm here and we've got two running backs than can put points on the board and win games,' ' Johnson said. "That's how I see it."