Role Play: Intriguing Tyron Johnson Set to Take the Spotlight in 2018

When it was announced Tyron Johnson would attend OSU, there was a lot of interest among fans and reporters alike. Yet, after one season in Stillwater, Johnson might retain his unofficial title as the most intriguing player on Mike Gundy’s roster. The amount of curiosity surrounding the home-run threat has only grown after fans got a sneak preview in 2017.

We saw flashes of brilliance from Johnson last season, but we didn’t see it often because there simply weren’t enough touches to go around between Johnson, James Washington, Marcell Ateman and others.

As highlighted in my breakdown of Jalen McCleskey’s role in 2018, there are a ton of targets up for grabs in next year’s offense.

Johnson is a former five-star recruit who attended LSU before transferring to OSU. He was tabbed the second-best receiver in the country and among the top 15 prospects regardless of position out of high school. Tigers fans got a brief look at what he could do in his freshman season, but it wasn’t much; He raked in nine catches in as many games, totaling 150 yards and two touchdowns.

He improved those numbers at OSU after redshirting in 2016, finishing with 18 catches for 293 yards and three touchdowns. He also served as a kick returner, fielding 13 kicks and amassing a total of 264 return yards, good for 20.3 yards per return.

Johnson, McCleskey, Dillon Stoner and Tylan Wallace look to head next year’s receiving corps, along with some freshmen who redshirted last season, such as LC Greenwood. Wallace’s ceiling in particular is rather high, and I’m a big fan of Greenwood’s game, but Johnson brings a combination of polished athleticism, size and breakaway speed that no other OSU receiver does.

We all remember how excited everyone was after he hauled in his first target as a Cowboy for a 44-yard touchdown, which was OSU’s first score of the season.

WATCH: Welcome to the SEAson of Orange! Rudolph to Tyron Johnson to start the night for #OKState! #MA2ON pic.twitter.com/lAutT6MuwB

— Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 31, 2017

He could have easily beaten the defensive back to the pylon, but the ball was slightly underthrown. He made a great adjustment, slowing down and contorting his body to make the catch, all while staying on two feet before entering the end zone.

Johnson doesn’t posses a great deal of quick-twitch speed, but his top-line speed with the ball in his hands is among the fastest in all of college football, which is part of the reason he was highly coveted out of high school.

Johnson was stuck behind Washington and Ateman on last year’s depth chart, but the burden of fewer touches was also accompanied with experience and lessons. He surely learned from the pair of NFL-bound receivers, and he’ll get to use that insight in what looks to be his best season yet in 2018.