Iowa State brings in forward Gili Johnson on transfer from Ole Miss

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State coach Matt Fannon has announced the addition of Mississippi transfer Gili Johnson to the 2025 roster.

Johnson is the fifth transfer signing of the offseason for the Cyclones, as she joins Allison Charleston (Wright State), Cassidy Corcione (Michigan State), Lucy Froitzheim (Florida) and Morgan Goodman (Xavier).

Johnson, a forward from Manhattan, Kansas, will have two years of eligibility after spending her first two seasons in Oxford, Miss.

“Gili is a pretty special athlete,” said Fannon. “She is going to be really dangerous in our hunt and finds herself in the right place at the right time in the box.”

Appearing in all 19 matches for the Rebels in 2024, Johnson made four starts and totaled 562 minutes of action. She notched one goal on the season, scoring in the season opener against Southern.

Johnson also appeared in every contest as a freshman, starting in 10 of 17 matches. As a freshman, Gili finished second on the team in points, goals and shots on goal. Her final stat line as a rookie read eight total points on four goals scored.

Johnson will return to the Midwest, as she prepped at Manhattan High School. In high school, Johnson was a two-sport athlete, excelling at both soccer and track and field. She was the Kansas High School 6A State Champion and school record-holder for triple jump and was the state runner-up in long jump.