‘He’s a generational-type athlete’: This KU Jayhawk — in new role — is early standout
Kansas football strength coach Matt Gildersleeve has never overseen someone like super-senior Kyron Johnson.
“He’s a generational-type athlete,” Gildersleeve said during a training camp interview with radio broadcaster Brian Hanni last week.
The reason for that has shown up in the numbers.
Gildersleeve reported that the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Johnson has run a 1.39-second 10-yard sprint. That’s definitely an accomplishment; project that 1.39 number out, Gildersleeve said, and one would expect Johnson to be able to run a 40-yard dash somewhere in the 4.2-second range.
“That’s a test I’ve never seen in my career,” Gildersleeve said of Johnson’s 10-yard mark.
It’s been part of an impressive few weeks for Johnson, who has been a training-camp standout according to both teammates and coaches.
“He literally might be the fastest guy on our team,” KU defensive coordinator Brian Borland said.
“He’s probably the most freakish athlete I’ve ever seen on the field,” defensive end Malcolm Lee said.
“He’s got some things that I haven’t seen in my career before,” Gildersleeve said, “just from the standpoint of running the speeds he runs.”
Johnson’s athletic achievements have developed even further under Gildersleeve’s watch this summer.
In the last few weeks, Johnson has improved his vertical jump from 39 to 42 inches — a top-five mark on the team that even surprised him.
“I didn’t even know I could do that,” Johnson said with a laugh.
Now the goal is to turn that athletic ability into football production, with KU’s new coaching staff moving him to a different role than he’s had in the past.
Johnson had been shuffled around constantly during his first four seasons in Lawrence, rotating often from outside to inside linebacker. He estimates, at this point, he’s changed spots “a good seven, eight times now.”
This year, Johnson has been transitioned to full-time defensive end in KU’s 4-3 scheme, meaning he’ll be used primarily as an edge rusher whose job will be to get into the backfield.
Johnson, who was all-Big 12 honorable mention at linebacker last season with 42 tackles in nine games, says he’s still adjusting to his new situation. Through all the previous changes, he’d never worked primarily as a defender in a three-point stance — that is, while stating a play with his hand on the ground.
He believes that switch has added some explosiveness.
“I can generate more speed in a three-point stance,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable, but it just feels like I can really move. I can really get off the ball faster.”
Lee said he could see huge upside for Johnson in his new position if he continues to perfect his technique.
What separates Johnson, Lee said, is the potential to make things difficult for offensive tackles if he is able to beat them to a spot around the perimeter.
“His top-end speed, it’s obviously impressive, but it’s not by any means something I haven’t seen. It’s the fact that he can just get there from 0 to 60 like that,” Lee said. “Usually it takes guys a little build-up, then drive, drive, drive, and then they can get on the top end. It just seems like he can just go from 0 to that top-end speed immediately. It’s impressive.”
Johnson said in the spring that one of his biggest motivations for a fifth-year return was to give himself the best shot at a potential NFL career. Scout-types appear to already be aware of him; Johnson was the only Jayhawk, for instance, to be named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List earlier this week.
A productive 2021 certainly could help his prospects. Johnson posted zero, two, one and three sacks in his previous four seasons at KU, with the potential to double that combined total if things go as planned the next few months.
“We’re trying to put him in a position that utilizes his size, his speed, his burst,” Borland said. “That’s a really good position — where he’s playing for us — to do that, where he can hopefully put some pressure on the quarterback.”
