Football was Jasper Johnson's first love, but choosing basketball 'was the best decision for me'

About to embark on his freshman year of college, Jasper Johnson could easily be putting on pads and a helmet, preparing for the start of the college football season in just a few weeks.

A native of Lexington, Johnson comes from a football family. His father, Dennis, was a First-Team All-SEC defensive end at the University of Kentucky. His late grandfather, Alvis, was a coaching icon across central Kentucky. Three of his uncles played football for the Wildcats, including First-Team All-SEC performer Craig Yeast. From a young age, football was, understandably, all he knew.

“I come from a football family,” Johnson told reporters last Thursday. “My dad played football here, three of my uncles played football here. I have a cousin that plays football here. Football has always been in my life since I was younger. It was actually my first sport that I played. But I always loved the game of football… I feel like it just came to me naturally.”

Johnson quickly took to the game, eventually suiting up for Woodford County High School, coached by his dad, as a quarterback and safety during his freshman and sophomore years. But he was quite the basketball player by this time, too. Johnson’s mom was also a talented hooper in her own right.

His talents reached the point where a decision needed to be made. Half his family was thinking football, the other half was thinking basketball. More experienced voices stepped in to help push him in the right direction. His football-minded dad and grandfather knew the hardwood was his calling.

“After my sophomore year, I had a great football and basketball season over at Woodford County,” Johnson, who grew to be 6-foot-4 with a crafty jump shot, said. “My dad and my grandfather came to a decision that they think I should travel elsewhere.”

The summer going into his junior year, Johnson transferred to prep school for basketball, moving out to Missouri where he attended Link Academy, well-known for developing high-level prospects into Division I prospects. That transition wasn’t always easy for the young teenager.

“I’m struggling,” Johnson said of his early experiences at Link Academy. “I’m playing against guys that are older than me, better than me, more elite. But it definitely helped my game grow mentally. I really appreciate that move from my dad. I never understood it in the moment. I was sad to leave home and my friends, but I feel like it was the best decision for me.”

When Johnson returned home following his year at Link, he was even more all-in on basketball. His dad didn’t stand a chance in the backyard one-on-one games anymore. Johnson was a national recruit by this point. From there, he transferred one more time to Overtime Elite for his senior year. Kentucky men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope did whatever it took to land his commitment, which he did back in the fall.

The decision to choose basketball over football has been a smart one. Johnson is viewed as a key piece to Kentucky’s upcoming run in 2025-26. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still curious about what life would have been like had he stuck around at Woodford County.

“I still talk to my friends about it to this day,” he said. “Like dang, if I had stayed one more year, maybe we could have been state champs in basketball and football. But I know it was for a good reason and a good cause, and you see where I’m at now.“

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