Kenny Johnson starting to emerge as a playmaker
Kenny Johnson entered the 2023 Pitt football season as one of the most exciting true freshmen on the roster. In the team’s last game, the York, Pennsylvania native made one of the most electric plays of the year for the Panthers.
Johnson broke off a 100-yard kickoff return in the third quarter against North Carolina to draw the Panthers to within 38-24. Pitt ultimately lost the game 41-24 to the Tar Heels, but Johnson provided a spark, something that was expected of him all along. In the lead up to the 2023 season, the Pitt coaches were not shy about hiding their excitement for the true freshman, and after a few games to find his footing, he is starting to prove why.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s almost something out of a movie,” Johnson told reporters after practice on Tuesday. “You dream of that type of stuff and when you run in the end zone and you see all the ten guys that set up those blocks for you. I’m returning it, my job is easy, their job is impossible almost. They have to run back, set their feet, take on a full-speed block pretty much. Those guys, they put their body on the line for me, so the least I could do is go get in the end zone.”
Johnson's 37.6 yard per game average in kick returns currently ranks him second nationally according the NCAA official stats page. He also had two returns of 20+ yards in the West Virginia game, his first game taking over the job, and has displayed the ability to flip the field for his team in a short sample size.
“Again, Kenny can run,” Pat Narduzzi said of his true freshman at his press conference on Monday. “Kenny made great cuts. The other ten guys did all the work there really when you look at it, and it's a great play by him, but you guys see great returners sit back there and get smashed. It depends on your blocking.”
Johnson has made a quick impact on special teams this past week, but he also trying to work his way into the offensive game plan more and more. Many expected to see him be one of the team’s top receivers this season, but his playing time was limited through the first three weeks.
That all started to change last week. Johnson appeared in 20 snaps, a career high, and finished with 20 rushing yards on three carries against North Carolina. He was targeted twice on pass attempts, but he did not record any catches. His impact has been a little slower than some thought given the praise heaped on him during camp, but personally Johnson is trying to keep pushing ahead in only his first year of playing college football.
“It shows a lot that they trust me,” Johnson said of his added role lately. “They’re growing confidence in me and my playmaking ability. I’ve just been trying to stay consistent and stuff like that.”
High school football came natural to Johnson. He was the MVP of the Big 33 game a few months back and regularly churned out big plays for Dallastown High School like the one he made against North Carolina
“High school was a field day,” he admitted. “It was too easy in high school.”
Johnson did not find that same success immediately when he arrived in Pittsburgh back in June. He reveled some struggles at first going up against veteran cornerbacks like Pitt has in Marquis Williams and MJ Devonshire.
“It was rough for me the first two months,” said Johnson. “Our defense is just so good, so you go against one of the best defenses and you’re running against them and you’re like, ‘Man I’m getting no separation.’
He eventually got it figured out and quickly became one of the stars of training camp. Like many true freshmen, the quickness of the game caught him off guard at first, though he feels he has adjusted. Speed is seemingly not a problem for Johnson, who topped out at 21 mph as he was running away from the North Carolina coverage unit.
“The speed of the game is so much faster,” Johnson explained. "It’s starting to slow down for me with the more reps I’m getting, but man this is a fast game.”
Johnson is still searching for that bigger role, but if the North Carolina game is any indication, more playing time should be on the way. It will be hard for the coaches to keep such an explosive player, one who can return a kickoff 100 yards, off the field for much longer.
The freshman isn’t looking for any personal accolades, though. He wants to do all he can to get Pitt’s 1-3 season turned around in a hurry. It has been a humbling experience for some, and eye-opener to a true freshman going through a rough patch right out of the gates.
“It’s rough, obviously losing with the talent that we have, but it’s football,” Johnson said. "Football is played on the field and not on paper, so it’s a lot of stuff that’s going on between the lines that we need fix. It’s little execution stuff and we’re right there. We could be undefeated right now. We’re just going to keep pushing through and we’ve just got to stay optimistic.”
Pitt will look to bounce back on Saturday against Virginia Tech, who is supporting an identical 1-3 record. The Panthers currently are riding a three-game winning streak against the Hokies overall, but Pitt is just 3-7 all-time in the tough environment of Lane Stadium.