Kenny Johnson's Role in Pitt Offense Keeps Growing

The Pitt Panthers are trusting more Kenny Johnson with the ball as he gets more comfortable.

PITTSBURGH -- The arrival of freshman wide receiver Kenny Johnson was one of, if not the, biggest story coming out of Pitt Panthers training camp. He showed immense talent and playmaking ability that had coaches and teammates believing he could contribute in a big way immediately. 

The start of the regular season dimmed the hype as Johnson collected just five total touches for 76 yards through his first three college games, but with Pitt's offensive struggles continuing, the coaching staff searched desperately for ways to get him the ball. And after a breakout moment against No. 17 North Carolina, Johnson is looking forward to a bigger role in the Panther offense. 

“It shows a lot that they trust me," Johnson said. "They’re showing confidence in me and my playmaking ability. I’ve just been trying to stay consistent.”

Pitt inserted Johnson as the primary kickoff returner ahead of the Week 3 contest against West Virginia and he gained 23 yards a pop on three returns, but it wasn't until the following weekend against the Tar Heels that he truly showed off his impressive athleticism, taking a third quarter kickoff the length of the field for a touchdown. He also took three handoffs for 20 yards, bringing his yardage total to 139 on just five touches. 

Saying his job was "easy" compared to what the blockers in front of him had to do, Johnson followed redshirt senior running back C'Bo Flemister, who called him out of the endzone and laid a key block to spring the electric score. Big moments like that have been built through mastery of the simple tasks, according to Johnson. 

“It’s the little stuff," he said. "Just not being in trouble, being seen and not heard, making those plays instead of being one of those guys you have to worry about. I want my coaches to say ‘Throw him out there, he’s okay,’ not ‘Oh, let’s make sure he’s doing the right thing.’”

Johnson didn't arrive at Pitt until June and, as a result, fell behind some of the other true freshmen who had joined the team in January for spring practices. He had talent, but there is a long adjustment period that every first-year player has to go through that involves everything from learning the playbook to finding classrooms and dorms and then finally coming to terms with the heightened speed and physicality of college football. 

He was in for a rude awakening when he first stepped onto the field against Pitt's defense. What came easily to him in high school became infinitely more difficult at the Power 5 level of college football and it's only now - about three months since he first stepped on campus - that the game has slowed down to the point that he feels comfortable. 

“It took me probably about two and a half months [to get acclimated]. It was rough. I got here and I thought ‘Man, I don’t even know if I belong here. ... You go against one of the best defenses and you’re running against them and you’re like, ‘I’m not getting any separation, I’m running the wrong routes.’ It took me longer than I wanted to.”

Johnson said he's grateful to the teammates and coaches who supported him through the rocky start. Their faith helped unlock the playmaking ability that could be crucial to getting this team back on track and made the difficult easy on a young player still finding his place. 

"I have a village behind me," Johnson said. "The whole team supports me, the coaching staff, so it’s easy when you have those guys supporting you.”

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