Safety Jaquan Johnson says he never really considered turning pro early even with fellow juniors like RJ McIntosh, Kendrick Norton and Mark Walton taking the plunge.

He says he knew well before the season ended that he’d be back to get his degree.

And to try and end his football career on the highest note of all.

“We want to win every game, that’s the standard,” Johnson said. “Win the Coastal, win an ACC championship, win the playoff, win a national championship. That’s why I came back for my senior year. That’s what we plan on doing.”

Is the team close?

“Of course,” Johnson said. “I mean, we have a new group of people. We have to re-establish ourselves, it’s a new season. After the first week somebody is going to be 0-1, and we’re looking forward to being 1-0 each and every week.

"We have a great thing going here, and I wanted to (come back and) be a part of it."

Johnson says the main factor that this season’s defensive success will hinge on is communication.

“Sometimes with lack of communication we gave up a first down (on a third down play) - we were pretty bad last year with our third down defense,” Johnson said. “We’ll improve on that and continue to build on our success. Everything else we should be okay.”

Johnson expects that with better communication will come more consistency.

“I want to see us dominate on third downs,” he said. “If we can be dominant on third down we’ll be a topnotch defense in the league.”

* Johnson says with the attacking style defense Manny Diaz runs that players have to win their individual battles.

“We’re Miami, we’re going to go man-on-man, we have to win our matchup,” Johnson said. “We have a one-on-one, we have to win that matchup and that’s how we’re going to be able to win.”

* How close are the young DB’s to contributing?

“They’ve made tremendous strides so far,” Johnson said. “For the most part they just have to continue to communicate, come in and get extra film study. Just don’t get complacent because you had a good spring or feel you’ve arrived and understand the defense, because it’ll change once the season starts. Stay on an older guy’s arm and don’t think you know it all, just listen to him.”

* Johnson says the team’s upperclassmen “are trying to set the standard that we’re going to be great and dominant this year.”

* Johnson said he tried to talk Norton and McIntosh into staying for their senior years as well and that "Guys make their decision for their families, and they're doing well so that's okay."