Samford Finds Its Playmaker in Gabarri Johnson
By Steve Irvine
HOMEWOOD, ALABAMA - September 28, 2026
Putting the ball in play is the way that Samford head coach John Grass describes the style of football he wants from quarterback Gabarri Johnson.
On Saturday, not long after he led the Bulldogs to a 45-7 Southern Conference victory over winless VMI, Johnson was asked what exactly that looks like.
“It just means giving guys a chance,” said Johnson, who will lead Samford into Saturday’s matchup with nearby UAB at Protective Stadium. “Even when I run the ball, I feel like I can make anyone miss and not get tackled or score a touchdown and that's what all these receivers and running backs feel too. So just getting them the ball in space and giving them that extra yard or two to make a move and see where they can go is going to help everybody out and give us a chance at more explosive plays rather than just catch, tackle, catch, tackle, you know.”
While sharing the ball is the correct objective, the 6-foot, 185-pound junior is at the forefront of everything that happens with the Samford offense. The Tacoma, Wash. native, who spent two seasons at Oregon State after spending his lone season at Missouri as a redshirt, won the job with his play during spring practice and fall camp. Grass didn’t let people outside the program know that Johnson won the job until the first snap of the season opener against UNA at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. It didn’t take long for those outside the program to understand why Grass and his offensive staff made the decision to go with Johnson.
“He's played solid, man,” Grass said in Saturday’s postgame press conference. “He's given us a chance in every game, you know. We've been moving the football and thrown the ball a lot. It puts a lot of pressure on your quarterback, when you've got to throw it. He's been very efficient. He's played really well. I thought today was his best day for sure. But like I said, he just does a good job of seeing the field and putting the ball in play and just making plays with his legs. I thought he made a lot of plays with his legs today, just extend plays and give us a chance.”
Johnson certainly had his most efficient outing in the win over VMI. He was 22-of-26 passing, which is a crisp 84.6 completion percentage. He had 222 yards passing with a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 34 yards on five carries with another touchdown. On the season, he is 84-of-143 for 868 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
One of the most special parts of Saturday’s win was playing in front of family members who traveled from Tacoma for the game.
“It means the world,” said Johnson, who threw for 667 yards in 17 games at Oregon State. “I haven't seen my family in a long time. I am pretty far from home. So just having them out here to watch me play, it meant a lot to me. I just wanted to get it done and make sure that they were happy going back home on that long flight.”
Being all the way across country from his home was one of the biggest adjustments when Johnson arrived at Samford.
“Really right now everything is fine, but I would say when I got here, just adjusting and meeting new people,” Johnson said. “I feel like that's the trouble you go through everywhere. I've been through it at different schools too. But once I got to know everyone, and then the coaches, they just kept us together all the time and always doing stuff together, whether we were working out in the locker room or just going to do stuff outside of the facility. So just getting that camaraderie with my guys made everything easier.”