East Carolina’s Mike Wright Jr. was the only player in the Football Bowl Subdivision to play five different positions last season, working at quarterback, running back, receiver, cornerback, return specialist and punter.

Wright has exhausted his college eligibility, but the Pirates secured a prospect in June who could fill a similar role in the near future.

Ja’Quez Johnson is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete from Auburn High School in Alabama whose all-around skills led to scholarship offers from Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Norfolk State, North Alabama, Samford, South Alabama and UT-Martin. But behind the efforts of cornerbacks coach Tarron Williams, ECU landed a verbal commitment from Johnson on June 15, two days after completing his official visit to campus.

Williams even hinted to Auburn head coach Keith Etheredge during the recruitment that Johnson reminds him of Wright, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL Seattle Seahawks in April.

“Coach Williams came in here and was like ‘He’s an athlete and we need guys like him,”’ Etheredge said. “He (Williams) said they lost a guy kind of like him – a defensive guy who could return kicks and do some things on offense.’ Quez is one of those guys. He’s just special. I’ve known Coach Williams for a little while and he does a really good job of gauging talent and finding kids who can make plays. He loves those guys who can do multiple things.”

Multiple things are exactly what Johnson did as a junior at Lanett High School, where he sparked the Panthers to the state 2A finals. He averaged an incredible 36.3 yards per catch (25 receptions, 907 yards, 12 touchdowns) as a receiver during the run to the state finals, made 53 tackles and six interceptions on defense and returned four kickoffs for touchdowns. In a 35-19 semifinal victory against Reeltown, Johnson made touchdown receptions of 64, 60 and 75 yards.

It was Johnson’s first season at Lanett after spending his freshman and sophomore years at state power Opelika, which is just eight miles from Auburn. As a sophomore there, Johnson appeared in nine games, making 12 catches for 141 yards and returning a kickoff 20 yards.

Johnson’s parents wound up moving back to the Auburn area, which eventually led Johnson to transfer to Auburn for his final prep season.

“They (parents) were sort of torn if they wanted him to stay at Lanett for his senior year,” Etheredge said. “They were talking about keeping him there. But they just decided we’ll bring him to Auburn and see how he does here in a big environment.

“He came in December of last year from Lanett. It’s new. We’re the biggest school in the state of Alabama as far as enrollment. I think we have 2,300 kids 10 through 12. So it’s a big difference from Lanett.”

Although Johnson will continue to be utilized on both sides of the ball at Auburn, Etheredge plans to have him focus more on offense.

“Over at Lanett he played all over the place,” Etheredge said. “Here he’ll play receiver, he’ll return kicks. He’ll go out and play some safety and some corner, but he won’t be out there all the time. So I think his production (at receiver) will really go up. I think he’ll be a receiver who’ll be a 1,300-, 1,500-yard kid for us. I think he’ll be a kid that’s all-state and will play in the Mississippi-Alabama (all-star) game or in the North-South All-Star game. He’s that type of special kid.”

Johnson is challenged daily during Auburn’s practices as a receiver. His quarterback, Cason Myers, has committed to play at Arkansas, and on defense he goes head-to-head against corners Cortez Crooks and sophomore Demarcus Van Dyke. Crooks, a senior, has offers from Jacksonville State and Sacramento State, while the 6-4, 160-pound Van Dyke has already amassed 46 offers, including those from Georgia, Indiana, Oregon, Penn State and Notre Dame among others.

Although he’ll spend most of his time at receiver for Auburn, Johnson has been recruited as a cornerback by East Carolina.

“If you get a DB with hands like Quez, you’re not just getting a guy who will be out there knocking down passes,” Etheredge said. “This kid picks them off and takes them to the house. He ain’t just looking to blanket somebody and knock the ball down. No, he wants the ball and he wants to score. I think East Carolina got an absolute stud.”

But don’t be surprised to see Johnson at other positions as well once he arrives in Greenville.

“He’ll play corner (at ECU), but I think he’ll do a lot of things for them,” Etheredge said. “They just lost the (Wright) kid who did that. They used him all over the place. He (Williams) said Quez is that kind of kid and hopefully we can use him in that role.”

Johnson is working to graduate from Auburn in December so he can begin his East Carolina career in January.