A three-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year and current redshirt senior for the Florida men’s tennis team has had a college journey that is anything but ordinary.
JanMagnus Johnson’s collegiate career began at UCF. However, he didn’t compete in UCF's 2019 Fall season, as he found it difficult to adjust to college life, he said. Johnson then transferred to FGCU before making one final pit stop at UF.
After landing with Florida, Johnson became the only Division I men’s tennis player to compete for UCF, FGCU and UF in the same college career.
Johnson adjusted to being on campus in his first semester at UCF before joining the Knights men’s tennis team in Spring 2020. However, just as he finished the first few matches of his freshman campaign, the season abruptly ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was kind of late in the recruiting process,” Johnson said. “But UCF just felt like a great fit… I wanted to go to Florida, but their recruiting class that year combined with me doing everything so late, didn't really work out the best.”
At UCF, Johnson felt overwhelmed by the pressure to perform on the court, making it harder to achieve results. The balance between high performance and personal support was a major factor that drew him to UF.
Since he was late to the college recruiting process in his senior year of high school, Johnson’s options were limited regarding where he could pursue his collegiate tennis career.
When COVID-19 halted Johnson’s freshman season at UCF, he faced uncertainty as to the next step. He chose to redshirt, giving himself an extra year of eligibility offered by the NCAA. In Johnson’s 2020 offseason, he decided to transfer to Florida Gulf Coast University to be closer to his hometown of Cape Coral, Florida.
“We were cared about as people first,” Johnson said. “Everything wasn’t based on our results… Whatever happened on the court we were going to move forward. I think that just gave me a lot of freedom, that was something that was definitely the opposite of UCF.”
During Johnson’s redshirt freshman season at FGCU, his talents on the tennis court flourished. Johnson was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year and was selected to the ASUN All-Freshman Team. He competed in all 14 matches for the Eagles, compiling a 9-3 singles record and a 7-4 doubles record.
By his redshirt sophomore season, he earned a pre-season singles ranking of No. 69 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Johnson graduated from FGCU with a 3.95 grade point average, earning a bachelor’s degree in business management with a focus on sports management. However, he also had yet to achieve his long-time dream of being a Gator.
Johnson’s various accolades can be accredited to his work ethic and dedication on and off the tennis court, FGCU men’s tennis head coach C.J. Weber said.
“He was always obsessed with tennis,” he said. “And just as much with taking care of his body. He was always the last player to leave the gym. His work ethic is just impressive.”
Today, Johnson is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management with a focus on athlete development at UF. But his arrival at Florida didn’t come without its challenges.
Despite Johnson excelling academically at UF, an injury sidelined him for the majority of his first season as a Gator, but he embraced a new leadership role on the team, serving as a mentor and coach for younger players.
“He’s somebody that we all look up to, even the coaches,” UF men’s tennis head coach Adam Steinberg said. “Off the court, he’s a guy that leads by example.”
It’s not often you see an athlete compete for three different schools in the same state. Johnson’s winding collegiate journey has led to a lifelong dream coming to fruition.
“I’ve always wanted to play for Florida,” Johnson said. “I grew up loving the Gators…. To play my last two years here and finish as a Gator is what I’ve always wanted.”
Contact Carston Handy at chandy@alligator.org. Follow Carston on X @carston_handy.
Carston Handy is a junior journalism major with a focus in sports and media. Fall 2024 marks his first semester reporting sports with the Alligator. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his fiancé and their dog. He also enjoys playing a bunch of sports, including pickleball, basketball and soccer.
