Coaching Breakdown: Keagan Johnson
Earlier this offseason, Iowa football landed a three-star wideout from the heart of Husker country: Bellevue West’s Keagan Johnson.
Johnson, whose father Clester played on the Nebraska championship teams in the 1990s, committed to Iowa on May 6.
247 Sports ranks Johnson as the second-best prospect in the state of Nebraska and primarily plays wide receiver but is listed as an athlete by 247Sports. The site ranks him as the second-best prospect in Nebraska. .
HawkeyeMaven caught up with Bellevue West head football coach Michael Huffman, who had high praise for his incoming senior.
Here’s what Huffman had to say about Johnson’s game.
Huffman’s goal for Johnson: lead the state in yardage and points
Huffman pointed to Nebraska’s usage of Wan’Dale Robinson as how he hopes to utilize Johnson this fall. Johnson boasts the hands to play receiver, but he also has the speed, quickness, and ball-carrier ability as a running back, meaning Huffman plans to use him in more ways than one.
“Our goal is for him to lead the state in yards from scrimmage and points,” Huffman said.
In 2019, Johnson caught 52 passes for 672 yards and eight touchdowns, finding his niche as a receiver.
But this offseason, Huffman stressed the importance of utilizing Johnson as a running back, a position that’s familiar with Johnson.
“Turns out, on his youth team, he played running back,” he said. “He didn’t play receiver until he got to Bellevue West.”
Within the first few weeks of throwing drills this past month, Johnson was already asking about when he can get started at an additional position.
“Here’s a kid that is arguably the best two-way players in the midwest, and he’s wanting to get his chomps up playing running back because he knows that’s our plan,” Huffman said. “How many kids are like that? I love it.”
As a receiver, Johnson can play everywhere
Johnson’s speed and catching ability allow Huffman to use him in a multitude of ways in the passing game.
Starting off last season, Johnson ended up moving outside due to a teammate’s injury.
“He’s explosive enough to play out there,” Huffman said. “You’re getting the deep balls, you’re deeping deep outs, you’re getting posts, you’re getting verticals. We’ve got a receiver screen we hit out there that he’s very good at.”
Keagan Johnson finished 2019 with 52 receptions, 672 yards, and eight touchdowns.
Keagan Johnson Twitter (@_keaganj)
Once the other receiver returned, Huffman moved Johnson inside, where he excelled at bubble screens, short flat routes, slants, and even outside handoffs. That do-it-all mentality is exactly why Huffman envisions a swiss-army-knife role for Johnson in 2020.
Johnson doesn’t have an ego
Huffman believes Johnson is one of the most coachable individuals he’s worked with.
“I’ve coached some all-star games,” Huffman said. “You tell a kid something and they look at you like you’re on cocaine. Keagan soaks it in. He wants to know, whether that’s stemming a route, getting out of his backpedal quicker.”
Bellevue West’s offense spreads the ball around and doesn’t necessarily target one specific player throughout games, and that’s something Huffman believes will benefit Johnson when he gets to Iowa City.
“He’s used to the ball being spread out,” he said. “I know for a fact coach Brian Ferentz likes that and has shared that with me.”
Johnson dedicated this offseason to the weight room
According to Huffman, Johnson ended the 2019 season weighing around 177 pounds.
Now, he’s up to 192 pounds.
“He looks like a statue,” Huffman laughed. “He’s totally committed himself.”
Huffman attributed Johnson’s weight-room heroics to how his older brothers were perceived coming out of high school. According to Huffman, they weren’t thrilled with their offers, and he theorizes it came from them not passing the “eyeball test.”
Huffman believes Johnson took that to heart.
“Keagan has sold his soul to the weight room, to eating right, to protein shakes,” Huffman said. “He is buff, and it’s been natural.”
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