Florida coach Billy Napier provided an update on cornerback Dijon Johnson on Wednesday, who remains with the team following his May 2 arrest in Tampa on multiple charges, including two felonies. Napier said Johnson is enrolled in summer classes, participating in team activities and that disciplinary measures are being handled internally.
“We’re gonna let things take their course,” Napier said at SEC spring meetings, via the Orlando Sentinel. “We started some of that process with [Johnson] in-house already. He’s back in summer school and he’s working with our team. He’s got good representation and we’ll let it take its course.”
Johnson faces four charges related to the May 2 traffic stop: possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (second-degree felony), possession of synthetic marijuana (third-degree felony) and two misdemeanors — one for cannabis possession under 20 grams and another for resisting an officer without violence. Court records in Hillsborough County show Johnson entered written not guilty pleas to all counts.
“I think there’s some lessons to be learned, and we’ll keep it at that,” Napier said. “I think that hopefully it will be a teachable moment not only for him but for the entire team and for young people in general.”
Johnson, a junior, played in all 13 games last season at Florida while making five starts. He recorded 25 total tackles, including one for loss, a quarterback hurry and two pass breakups. Johnson projects to be a full-time starter in 2025, pending the outcome of his legal situation and any potential disciplinary action from the program.
“I think we’ve established what we expect from the players,” Napier said. “I think the big thing is, you kind of turn it into a positive to some degree, in terms of taking great pride in who you represent. You represent your family, you represent your institution as a whole, and then I think the program in general, and that specific group of players as a team that we’ve worked hard to create. So over time, we’re hopeful that a lot of these things that we talk about stick. But nobody’s perfect.”
Johnson rated as a Top247 recruit coming out of Tampa (Fla.) Wharton in the 2023 class. He ranked as the No. 162 overall prospect and No. 12 safety nationally.
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