Jaquan Johnson during Hurricanes Media Day. Screen Shot.

With both Miami Hurricanes’ safeties, Jamal Carter and Deon Bush out for the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats, freshman Jaquan Johnson will have to fill a huge void in the secondary.

Both Carter and Bush were having big-time games against Nebraska until they were called for “targeting” on separate occasions and ejected. But, as rules go, targeting comes with a half-game suspension in the following game.

Dallas Crawford and Rayshawn Jenkins will have to pretty much hold down the fort till the suspended duo can come back in the second half, but young, super talented, Jaquan Johnson will most likely see some serious action.

If you’ve never heard of Johnson, well, get ready to hear a whole lot about him soon. The kid was a beast in high school. According to ESPN.com, Johnson chose Miami over tons of college programs such as: Florida, Florida State, LSU, Clemson, West Virginia, Louisville, USC, South Carolina and yes, Cincinnati.

Johnson hasn’t played much in the first 3 games, but he’s already accounted for 8 tackles: 4 assisted tackles (AT) and 4 unassisted tackles (UT).

After watching his high school highlights, Johnson is a very well-rounded safety. He’s extremely physical and loves to lay violent hits. But, he also has a knack for the ball, knowing when to jump on a wide-receiver’s route or high-point the football. Overall, the kid is confident, a leader and a playmaker. No wonder Johnson could pretty much pick any college to play at.

The ‘Canes secondary has been a bright spot so far in 2015. It’s never a good thing to lose starters in a ball game, but this could indeed be valuable reps for the young safety.

Listed at 5’10” and 190 pounds by Hurricanesports.com, Johnson was an Army All-American, 4-star recruit out of Miami Killian High School.