Freshman Receiver Jordan Johnson Needs Early Action

Finding a role for freshman wide receiver Jordan Johnson is a must for Notre Dame

Notre Dame has done quite well recruiting the wide receiver position throughout Brian Kelly’s tenure in South Bend. That continued with a strong 2020 group of pass catchers, and the highest ranked player in that group is St. Louis native Jordan Johnson.

Johnson was a consensus Top 100 recruit, checking in between No. 28 (Rivals) and No. 61 (247Sports) nationally by the three main recruiting services. Rivals ranked him as a five-star recruit and the nation’s No. 5 pass catcher.

That made Johnson the highest ranked receiver recruit to select Notre Dame since Michael Floyd signed with the Irish back in 2008.

Notre Dame’s depth chart at wide receiver returns a lot of players and a lot of talent, but Johnson is the kind of player who needs to find a home as a freshman. This doesn’t mean he needs to start, or even be a number two, that needs to be earned. Passing up returners won’t be easy, but Johnson is also not a five-year player, so only playing him in four games would be a waste.

Assuming Johnson comes into camp in good shape and focused mentally he needs to have a role early in the season. Getting him at least five to ten snaps per game would be ideal, and as he gets more and more comfortable his role can expand. It should be part of an overall plan at the position to play a deep rotation early in the season, and Johnson needs to be a part of that.

Johnson has the skillset to play any wide receiver position in the Irish offense. The staff cannot ask him, or any freshman, to have as full of a grasp of the offense as veterans. Therefore, the plan should be to do what Clark Lea and the defensive staff have done with talented young players, find out what he is comfortable with and build around it.

Simply put, Johnson and classmate Xavier Watts need to play in 2020.

Here’s my analysis of Johnson as a prep player:

“Johnson is an intriguing wide receiver target. He lacks any elite physical traits, but his all-around skillset makes him one of the top players in the country. He finished his prep career with 83 catches for 2,033 yards (24.5 YPC) and 27 touchdowns. Johnson had to play defense as a senior for a DeSmet squad that finished undefeated and won a state championship.

“Listed at 6-2 and just 180 pounds, Johnson is a strong athlete that has impressive length, which allows him to play bigger than he is. He shows a good burst off the line, gets to full speed in a hurry and quickly eats up the cushion of defensive backs. Johnson has impressive foot quickness and loose hips, traits that give him the potential to develop into an elite route runner in college. His suddenness and burst allows Johnson to explode out of breaks and get separation.

“Johnson has long arms and strong hands, which gives him an impressive catch radius. His ability to out-play defenders for the football is as good as you’ll find in the country. Johnson’s body control, length and ability to track the ball makes him a big-time weapon on the outside as a downfield weapon and back-shoulder pass catcher. He can catch the ball in traffic and do damage after the catch. At times he’ll lose focus and drop a pass or two, but his pass catching skills are otherwise elite.

“Johnson’s ball skills and athleticism fit perfectly into Notre Dame’s boundary receiver position, but his route running and athletic traits also project well to the field positions, and that versatility only adds to his value as a prospect.”

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