Dillon Johnson says UW has ‘best offense in the country.’ Soon enough, he’ll show you why.

SEATTLE – If it’s not enough to have one Dillon Johnson debut …

Get ready for two.

When No. 10 Washington hosts Boise State in its season opener Sept. 2, Johnson – a 6-foot, 218-pound transfer from Mississippi State – is expected to excel. It’ll double as the first game he plays in front of his 1-year-old son, Dillon Johnson Jr.

“He didn’t get to see me play (in person last season), because he was so young at the time,” Johnson said Friday. “And at Mississippi State, those cowbells will blow your ears off. I didn’t want to put him through that. But it’s definitely going to be fun.”

In more ways than one.

Johnson showcased his versatility in three seasons at Mississippi State – amassing 1,198 rushing yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 149 catches, 864 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. UW running backs coach Lee Marks said: “When he got in the (transfer) portal, I was driving down the highway. It was late at night. I believe we ended up talking about 20, 30 minutes after he got into the portal. I was able to track down his number really fast, and I reached out to him and talked to him right away.”

Unsurprisingly, Johnson needed convincing – considering Seattle is situated 2,400 miles west of his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi.

But Washington – despite the distance – offered opportunity.

“One of the first things he said (after landing in Seattle for an official visit) was, ‘Coach, that was a really long flight,’” Marks recalled. “But at the same time, he ended up falling in love with the place. Plus he knows an opportunity is here for him. If he wanted to have an opportunity to not only be an all-conference player and a good player for us, but hopefully to move on to the next level, he needs to play in an offense that can fit his style and get him prepared. That’s exactly what we can do for any running back.

“If I was a running back, coming to play for us would be a dream come true. Because there’s very few programs, in my opinion, that are truly going to get you prepared for the next level like we can. We’ll ask him to do everything. There’s not one thing we won’t ask a running back to do. We feel like he recognized that, and now he’s here.”

He’s here, in part, thanks to another Mississippi State transplant and former teammate, Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross.

“Especially being so far away from home, (I asked Cross) what’s different about it, what are things I can do down there for fun,” said Johnson, who was also pursued by Auburn out of the transfer portal. “He gave me a lot of ideas and a lot of stuff that he saw was great. I asked, ‘Would you ever move back to Mississippi?’ He said, ‘No!’ That gave me the answer right there.”

Johnson is bringing the best parts of Mississippi to Montlake, anyway. His girlfriend, Jalyn – who he’s been with since seventh grade – and Dillon Johnson Jr. are moving west by the end of the month.

“It was absolutely, completely different,” Johnson said of life after Dillon Jr. was born Aug. 8, 2022. “I think people don’t understand, having a child, it’s a different type of feeling. I really didn’t understand it until I had my own. That makes you practice harder. It makes you think about stuff before you do it, making the best decision not only for you but for your family in general.”

Of course, it won’t be easy to fill the role previously occupied by Wayne Taulapapa – who contributed 887 rushing yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 24 catches, 225 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns after transferring from Virginia last fall.

Of equal importance: Taulapapa was a punishing pass protector for Michael Penix Jr.

Johnson is willing to do that, too.

“You ask him how he feels about pass pro and he’s like, ‘Coach, that’s an easy answer: either you want to do it or you don’t,’” Marks said. “That’s probably the best way I’ve heard someone I’m recruiting talk about pass pro.

“And he’s just so naturally strong. You see him do one-on-one pass rush (drills), and when he gets his hands on you, you can definitely feel it. The linebackers have said that as well. They go, ‘Coach, he’s definitely different when he puts his hands on you.’”

Johnson’s hands are not in question.

But who knows about his knee?

The fourth-year junior acknowledged Friday that he had a minor knee surgery last fall. After which: “I came back too quick, and then I came down to Washington and I wasn’t all the way healed correctly. So I had another procedure done (in April).”

Which explains why he sat out most of the spring, before easing into preseason practices this summer. For Washington’s newest running back, the wait was unwelcome.

“It was very tough, especially me being so far away from home,” he said. “Not really having family and friends to talk to, my mom and dad really wanted to fly down here to make sure I was mentally OK. But I told them I’m a big boy. I’m good. In life you have obstacles you have to get over. This is one of them. I’m just ready for the first game of the season so I can show the world a little secret.”

Given Penix’s Heisman hype, a lethal UW running attack would qualify as such. Johnson, junior Cameron Davis (who led UW with 13 rushing touchdowns last fall) and sophomore Will Nixon have consistently split the Huskies’ starting reps. Senior Richard Newton, junior Daniyel Ngata and sophomore Sam Adams II could conceivably enter the tailback rotation as well.

While Washington must replace three starters on its offensive line, Johnson said, “I feel like we have the best offense in the country.”

On Sept. 2, Johnson Jr. and the Huskies can show why.

“What (UW offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb and the staff are doing is something special,” Johnson said. “People on the outside won’t be able to understand fully how special this offense is going to be. You just got to be there. You just got to be there to understand how special this group is.”