California football tight end Jeffrey Johnson was named to the watch list for the ninth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year on Tuesday, joining a group of 67 of the nation's top leaders in college football.

Members of the watch list have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field and were nominated by their schools.

Johnson, a redshirt senior, has served his teammates and community in multiple ways since joining the football program. First, he has served as the football team's Student Athlete Advisory representative. In addition to serving as the advisory representative, Johnson has volunteered as a group leader for the Golden Buddies Football Clinic, Summer Reading Challenge and Go Girls, Go Bears, Go Play event.

Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Oct. 14. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.