LSU WR Tyron Johnson’s transfer a case of ‘what might’ve been’
BATON ROUGE, La. – When LSU opened fall camp last week with split-squad workouts, there were five wide receivers working with the veterans at the morning practice. A day later, true freshman Drake Davis joined the group. There was a notable absence: sophomore Tyron Johnson. Now we know why.
Thursday, Johnson – a five-star prospect and a top-30 overall recruit nationally in 2015 – announced he has been granted his release and plans to transfer.
Any time a player transfers, apologists tend to minimize that player’s talent and impact on the program. In Johnson’s case, it is tougher to do that. In an offense that features a stable of running backs more than a bevy of receivers, Johnson still managed to fight for elbow room at the table as a true freshman in 2015. After Travin Dural’s injury opened the door for a No. 2 opposite Malachi Dupre, Johnson shined in a road loss to Ole Miss with five receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also flashed big-play potential with a 61-yard score against Western Kentucky.
Still, for a player who was courted by pass-heavy teams such as Texas Tech, California, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, patiently waiting for a few bread crumbs wasn’t enough. The same was apparently true for fellow wide receivers John Diarse and Trey Quinn, who also transferred this offseason. And once junior D.J. Chark and redshirt freshman Derrick Dillon apparently passed Johnson in the pecking order, he decided it was time to move on.
It is hard to blame Johnson, but it is equally as difficult to dismiss his departure as inconsequential. True, LSU has an embarrassment of riches at receiver. With Dural a senior and Dupre likely headed to the NFL after this season, the next guard appears poised to take the reins. Davis leads a talented freshman class that includes Dee Anderson and Stephen Sullivan; Chark, Dillon and sophomore Jazz Ferguson also should be around in 2017. It was Johnson, though, who with another year of development looked like the next game-breaker. He apparently wasn’t willing to wait and see.
There were a few undeniable obstacles facing Johnson at LSU. With recent additions of Davis (6 feet 3), Anderson (6-5), Ferguson (6-5) and Sullivan (6-6), LSU clearly has shifted its philosophy in recruiting receivers: The Tigers want big guys who can create matchup problems anywhere on the field. At 6-1, Johnson was the relative runt. While coordinator Cam Cameron wants polished receivers who run sharp routes and can win downfield, Johnson has the catch-and-run, make-you-miss skill set.
Johnson also came from a high school program (New Orleans Warren Easton_ where he wasn’t asked to run precise routes, but rather beat inferior high school players – something a gifted athlete like Johnson did in terrific fashion. By contrast, when Odell Beckham Jr. arrived on campus out of New Orleans Isidore Newman, he played immediately as a freshman in 2011 because he was as impressive without the ball as he was with it. Not only did he understand the route tree, Beckham also was a terrific blocker. Both are skills Johnson has yet to master.
People often wonder how a school like LSU, which has finished in triple-digits nationally in passing offense the past two seasons, continues raking in top-tier wide receiver talent. The answer is simple: LSU currently has more wide receivers in the NFL than any other college program. No blue-chipper thinks he will be the guy waiting his turn, so they sign up.
Tyron Johnson clearly wasn’t willing to wait his turn. He will be an excellent addition wherever he lands, but LSU fans must wonder how good he might have been in the purple and gold in 2017 had he just been more patient. Instead, there is one less body fighting for elbow room at the table.
