When Indian Prairie School District 204 redrew its attendance boundaries for the 2022-23 academic year, it meant big changes for Julian Johnson.

He moved from Metea Valley to Waubonsie Valley, where he knew he’d be spending more time in the principal’s office.

That isn’t a negative thing.

“I didn’t really mind it at all,” Johnson said. “I got to spend more time with my mom, so it’s not too much trouble.”

Johnson, a senior tight end and defensive end who has committed to play at Minnesota, is thriving on and off the field at Waubonsie Valley, where his mother, Montrine, is an assistant principal. The school is large enough for him to immerse, but he loves being near her.

“It’s great,” Johnson said. “I see only pros and perks to having my mom in there. I’m always in there, dropping by to say ‘What’s up?’ to her when I can. It’s easier to get help from her because she’s always there in the building.”

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Johnson is carrying on a family tradition of athletic and academic success. Montrine Johnson played basketball at Georgia State. Julian Johnson’s father, Brian, was a two-year starting wide receiver and Division III All-American in track at North Central College, where he is the assistant athletic director for diversity, equity and inclusion.

“They’re always impacting other student-athletes, most of them being very successful student-athletes,” Julian Johnson said of his parents. “They’ve pushed me and made me want to go farther in the sport.”

Johnson’s ultimate goal is to keep playing football for as long as possible.

“He’s a freak of an athlete that can do a lot of different things,” Waubonsie Valley coach Tom Baumgartner said. “He won the high jump at the indoor conference track meet last winter.

“He’s got great bloodlines. His grandfather (Rob Johnson) was a Hall of Fame track coach at Wabash College (and assistant coach for the U.S. at the 2000 Sydney Olympics).”

In his first season at Waubonsie Valley, Julian Johnson was used primarily as a receiver, the position played by his brother, Jalen, who is a sophomore at Northern Illinois.

But Baumgartner is using Johnson as a tight end, and the Warriors (4-4), who were 0-9 last season, can qualify for the playoffs with a win against Naperville North in the regular-season finale Friday.

Johnson has caught 23 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown for a team that runs 70% of the time. He regularly draws double teams when he runs routes, but he has been a big help in the running game.

“His blocking has been outstanding,” Baumgartner said. “It’s really improved from last year, which I’m sure will bode well for the future when he tries to be a Big Ten tight end.

“If you watch Minnesota and what they do with their tight ends, he’s going to have to be really good at blocking. Tight ends are extremely valuable in the run game. He’ll fit nicely.”

Johnson has also made an impact on defense. He has 19 tackles, including three for loss, with four sacks and 14 quarterback hurries. He doesn’t mind the double duty or learning about the intricacies of blocking.

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“It gets tiring, but I love it,” Johnson said. “Minnesota’s tight end (Brevyn Spann-Ford) is probably going to be in the league next year. They kind of see me as him. I have to develop into that. I’ve got the height, but I need to be a 260-pound tight end, and that is going to take some time.”

Meanwhile, Johnson is enjoying his time leading the Warriors’ resurgence.

“This is my second year here, and being a senior, I’ve kind of had the opportunity to fill a leadership role and really use my voice on the team, which is pretty cool,” he said. “Everybody’s mindset coming from last year is nobody wants to go through that again, so we’ve been grinding since last winter, and it’s been amazing.”

The end of Johnson’s time at Waubonsie Valley is drawing near. He will graduate in December and enroll as a full-time student at Minnesota in January.

“I really like Minnesota because they’re trying to build me not just as a football player but as a man to set me up for success outside of football when I’m done with college,” Johnson said. “That’s the main reason why I picked Minnesota, and playing in the Big Ten is an unbelievable opportunity.

“I’m still in shock. I don’t think it’s going to hit me until I get there.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.