Outside expectations placed on players aren't always fair. Before Clemson transfer and former five-star recruit Hunter Johnson even played a snap at Northwestern, Wildcat fans had visions of the next Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence dancing through their minds.

Things didn't end up going that way for Johnson in 2019. He started the season opener at Stanford and his second pass attempt as a Wildcat was picked off, setting the tone for what would go on to be a brutal year for Johnson, and the Cats' offense as a whole. In total, he played in six games, completing 46.3% of his passes for 432 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

The Hunter Johnson that talked to the media on Monday afternoon is a lot different than the one that took the field in Palo Alto a little less than two years ago, or even the one that appeared in just two games and didn't attempt a pass last season. And that's a good thing.

"I think I've matured a lot, gone through a lot," he said. "I've learned a lot from personal experiences, learned a lot from football experiences. I think I'm mentally a lot stronger than I was."

In addition to being in a better spot mentally, Johnson finally has some stability at offensive coordinator. Since starting his high school career nine years ago, the redshirt senior has had to deal with seven different offensive coordinators. He's now entering year two in Mike Bajakian's system and feeling more confident than ever.

"It's been great having a year under my belt with Coach Jake," Johnson said. "Last year, with COVID and getting shut down, we were really able to hammer down on some of the meeting time because we weren't able to do as much physical, so that was a big time for me to sink in and learn. I'm definitely feeling more confident heading into this year."

Bajakian has noticed the increased comfort that Johnson feels this season. The second-year offensive coordinator said that Johnson has taken major strides to become more proficient mentally and physically than he was at this time last year.

Johnson has also graduated and is now working on his Master’s. He said that now that he has his degree in hand, he doesn't have to worry about school as much as he did in the past and can put an increased focus on football.

The mental aspect of the game was Johnson's biggest problem in 2019, he's always had incredible arm talent.

"Physically, I throw a great ball," Johnson said. "I always have been able to spin a football."

Johnson shouldn't shoulder all of the blame for his or the offense's struggles in 2019. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has said multiple times that the coaches let Johnson down by not helping him enough.

That has changed under Bajakian as well. Fitzgerald has seen a lot of Johnson's growth this offseason come from the fact that he's more confident in himself, and the coaching staff has given him the tools to succeed this time around.

It would've been easy for Johnson to pout after what happened in 2019, on and off the field, including his mother being diagnosed with breast cancer. But that's not who he is.

"I think he was frustrated with some of his play in '19," Fitzgerald said. "He just knew he needed to grind a little harder and play better. It says a lot about Hunter's character."

Another person who can attest to Johnson's character is one his roommates, fellow transfer quarterback Ryan Hilinksi. The South Carolina transfer even said that if he had to pick one teammate to babysit his future child, he'd pick Johnson.

"Hunt's a great guy," Hilinski said. "He's a really good human being. He's been great; he's helped me a lot. Having Hunter as a roommate has been really helpful, for sure."

Part of the reason Johnson can help Hilinski is he's been in his shoes before. This time, Hilinski is the hotshot transfer who people assume will win the job, while Johnson is now the veteran that people on the outside consider an afterthought in the competition.

But all the work Johnson has put in during the last two years, and all that he's been through, has put him in a position to potentially win the starting job in fall camp.

Things seem to finally be coming together for Johnson, even if it's two years after a lot of people thought it would be. He's comfortable and confident both as a person and as a quarterback.

Stability at the offensive coordinator position has allowed him to focus on other aspects of his game instead of learning a new offense. He has a degree and can bring a stronger focus to football now.

It's been a long journey for the Brownsburg, Ind., native to get to this point. Johnson doesn't choose to forget any part of it, either. Even 2019.

"I've gone through some tough times," Johnson said. "But that's the best way to learn: to go though those tough times and come out better on the other side."