Max Johnson’s long college career heads to a fourth team, with a seventh year of eligibility set to be used in 2026

Max Johnson’s college football career, already one of the longest and most eventful in recent memory for a quarterback, is set to move again this fall. Johnson, a former LSU starter, will be on his fourth team at the collegiate level, continuing a path shaped by transfers and periods of missed time tied to injury stints.

Johnson began his college career at LSU in 2020. From there, he transferred two times, building his résumé across different programs while also keeping eligibility available through a combination of injury-related circumstances. According to the account of his timeline, he has retained a seventh year of eligibility and intends to use it in 2026, rather than ending his run at the end of his most immediate season.

Eligibility matters in college football because it can change what a player’s next season looks like, both for the athlete and for the roster planning of the program that signs him. A quarterback with a seventh year of eligibility is not simply looking for a short-term role. The decision typically indicates a longer arc, one that may include grooming for starts, competition for the job, and an expectation that the player can contribute across multiple fall camps.

Johnson’s situation also highlights how modern quarterback development can be less linear than fans often imagine. Transferring can alter a quarterback’s timeline, since offensive systems, timing with receivers, and scheme responsibilities often vary from school to school. Meanwhile, injuries that lead to eligibility adjustments can add complexity for coaching staffs trying to evaluate a player’s current readiness alongside his history of missed time.

For LSU, Johnson’s departure after starting his career in Baton Rouge remains part of a broader reality for elite quarterback rooms, where competition and fit decide who stays. For the program Johnson joins next, the immediate question will be what role he is expected to play and how quickly he can settle into a new offensive environment. With his eligibility window extending into 2026, the decision-making could also influence recruiting, especially how coaches balance experience at quarterback with the development of younger players.

What to watch next is the confirmation of Johnson’s destination for this fall and the specific expectations that come with it. The practical impact for fans will be roster-level, not box-score driven in the early weeks: quarterback competition, camp performance, and how quickly a new starter (or key competitor) can process protections and command the offense.

Because the available material for this prompt does not include the name of Johnson’s fourth program, readers should treat the exact landing spot as something to verify through official roster announcements or the team’s preseason communications. The broader storyline, however, is clear: a veteran quarterback with a seventh year of eligibility is continuing his college career into 2026 after transferring twice and managing eligibility through injury stints.