Josiah Johnson enters into his first season as a graduate assistant at Arkansas Tech and will coach the safeties.
Johnson comes to Tech after an accolade-filled playing career at GAC-rival, Ouachita Baptist. A four-year letterman for the Tigers, Johnson earned All-GAC honors at safety each of his final three seasons and was an All-American in 2023 and 2024.
In his final season, Johnson capped his stellar career by being named the 2024 Cliff Harris Award for NCAA Division II as the best defensive player in the nation. That year, Johnson led one of the best defensive units in the nation. Ouachita would finish 10-2 overall, earn a share of the GAC championship, and earn a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The Little Rock native was the heart and soul of the nation's No. 3 scoring defense with a final total of 72 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown. The Tigers held six of their 11 regular-season opponents to single digits in scoring, including two shutouts in 2024.
For his career, Johnson totaled 241 tackles with 8.5 being for lost yardage and 3.0 being sacks. He also had four interceptions, broke up 15 passes, forced a pair of fumbles and had a blocked punt.
