Collin Johnson: ready for a breakout game

By Steve Habel, Senior Contributing Writer

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas wide receiver Collin Johnson is one of the nation’s top wideouts, but one would be hard-pressed to believe that claim from the relatively pedestrian statistics he has produced in the Longhorns’ first two games.

Johnson appears to be poised to break out in a big way this Saturday when the Longhorns travel to Houston to play winless, and outmanned, Rice at NRG Stadium. Texas has defeated the Owls in 41 of the 42 teams’ meetings since 1966, and don’t expect that trend to change this week at the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

It would be foolish to[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] sleep on Johnson, UT’s 6-foot-6, strong-handed and athletic target who excels at the one-on-one battles with cornerbacks, many of whom give away more than a half a foot in height to the Longhorns’ senior pass-catching machine.

Johnson is just fourth on the team in receiving with seven catches for 108 yards this year, 14 receptions and 101 yards fewer than Devin Duvernay, who has shined against Louisiana Tech and LSU when he was moved to the slot.

But the two situations are not mutually exclusive. Johnson is getting fewer targets and catching fewer balls because he often is being covered by two players, as opponents roll a safety over the top and dare Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger to beat them by throwing elsewhere on the field. Usually it’s the slot receiver — through the first two games that often has been either Duvernay or freshman Jake Smith — who gets the ball most (26 catches between the two).

“LSU doubled me early in the game and that allowed some other guys to be open,” said Johnson, who had three catches for 49 yards against the Tigers’ vaunted defense. “The history of our offense shows the ‘H,’ the slot is going to get a lot of touches. What I’m asked to do is beat man coverage and make plays when by number is called. That’s all I can control.”

Ehlinger, if he sees the safety shading to cover Johnson, also will look to the opposite side of the field, and so far freshman Brennan Eagles has been up to the task, with eight catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns.

All of those scenarios are predicated on how Johnson is being covered.

“We know it’s easy to take one receiver away, but we also know to open Collin up and get him touches, other guys have to get going,” Ehlinger said. “With the performances of Brennan and Devin the past couple of games, it’s going to be hard to defenses to keep doubling Collin. We want to spread our offense out so they can’t double Collin.”

For his career, Johnson has 157 receptions (eighth in school history) for 2,173 yards (ninth) and 13 touchdowns (12th). He has a catch in 29 straight games in which he has played, the fifth-longest streak in school history.

Johnson will bide his time, but expect him to make his share of plays this season and at the next level. Remember that he set a Big 12 Championship Game record with 177 receiving yards against Oklahoma last season.

“As a receiver, you always want the ball, but you have to humble enough to know the big picture,” Johnson said. “I just have to execute and do my part. No matter who I play, I feel like I’m good enough to beat anyone one-on-one.”
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