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ished the year with 1,109 passing yards on just 162 attempts with eight touchdowns and five intercep- tions. After Johns won the starting job in the spring, Lambert decided to transfer and, suddenly, all eyes looked to No. 15 for guidance. "Greyson leaves and the team is looking at one guy, and that's me. And that's exciting," Johns re- called. "That's what I worked so hard for, that's what I wanted. I wanted to be the one guy that everyone looks up to. "I ran with that," he added, "and tried to really take control of this offense. Since I've been here, there have been great leaders on this offense, but there hasn't been one distinct leader that really steps up and everybody says, 'This is our guy.' I really wanted to be that guy, and I think it's paid off really well." If there was any doubt about how the locker room would respond to Johns, it quickly vanished when the Cavaliers emerged from summer and began fall training camp and ultimately the 2015 season. In his first four games, he threw for 989 yards, including a career-long 80-yarder on a screen pass to third-year tailback Taquan Mizzell that went for a score in UVa's 35-29 win over William & Mary Sept. 19. In his first seven starts as a Wahoo, Johns has passed for 200 yards or more in five of them. Johns has a bit of a reputation for not only showing poise and moxie on the field, but for also being a fiery leader who will get animated at times. He credits his approach to his own self-confidence, something that helped him while he prepared to be UVa's starter go- ing into the season. "It's not that hard," he said. "When you're confi- dent in the offense and you know what's going on. If UCLA was my first-ever start and I had never played, then it's different. But going into the season and knowing the offense and having played in it for three years, I think that's been to my advantage." The Keystone State native puts a lot of the focus on his playmakers. Mizzell, for example, is a former five-star recruit who Johns believes is destined for In Virginia's first four games this season, Johns completed 62.8 percent of his passes while throwing for 989 yards and eight touchdowns. PHOTO BY PETE EMERSON/COURTESY UVA