Johnson showing more than just speed
STILLWATER — Oklahoma S t a t e r e c e i v e r B r a y d o n J ohnson sli pped between a couple of blocks and got the chance to show off his speed o n a 5 0 - y a r d t o u c h d o wn reception in Saturday's upset of Iowa State.
“He's fast. A lot of people may not know how f ast he is, but he's really fast,” said teammate Chuba Hubbard.
And when Hubbard says you're fast, you're fast.
Behind the scenes, Johnson's speed has never been a question. It's perhaps the biggest factor in him getting on the field.
But the redshirt sophomore's development in the other parts of his game has kept him there.
As t he Cowboys prepare to protect the home turf against TCU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, Johnson has emerged as an extra weapon in the passing attack.
As quarterback Spencer Sanders begins to spread the ball around more frequently, Johnson has been one of t hose who benefited. He has 10 catches this season, with seven of them in the last three games.
Three of his catches have gone for at least 50 yards, but he's not just being used as a deep threat — Saturday's screen pass-turned-50-yard TD being a prime example.
“He's a really good success story,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “When he came in here, his first year-and-a-half, the culture here was foreign
to him, from the standpoint of he didn't know if he wanted to do it. Accountability, structure, discipline, hard work.”
Averaging 22.1 yards per catch, Johnson has excel led since buying into the requirements of receivers coach Kasey Dunn.
He has shown the versatility to play outside or inside receiver, and at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he can be physical with the ball or as a blocker.
“He' s shown me his maturity,” said redshirt sophomore safety T re Sterling, who often goes against Johnson in practice. “He's working more on the ball-security aspect of his game, his route running and his ability to secure catches.
“He's really a developing player, and I'm happy for him.”
With his big per formance Saturday, Johnson moved into third on OSU's receiving yardage list with 221, behind only Tylan Wallace (903) and Dillon Stoner (232).
“He's turning the corner now,” Gundy said. “He has a lot of ability. And he is just now starting to obtain the most important thing for a player, which is called confidence. He believe sin himself now and you're starting to see the results.”