Could This WVU True Freshman QB Have a Brighter Future at Wide Receiver?

At some point, Rich Rod and the coaching staff will have a decision to make.

WVU Athletics Communications

The only chance West Virginia freshman quarterback John Johnson III will have to see the field this fall will be sometime within the first two weeks of the season when the Mountaineers face Coastal Carolina and UT Martin.

Even then, there’s no guarantee that he will check into the game, as WVU will want to get its second and third string quarterbacks as many reps as possible in those two games before the competition ratchets up the following week.

Johnson will spend this upcoming season learning and developing as a quarterback; however, I would keep a close eye on his listed position. I don’t think WVU should move him elsewhere already because I do think he is an intriguing talent at quarterback, but he is such an incredible athlete that it wouldn’t surprise me if he ultimately gets moved to wide receiver.

A challenging path at QB

John Johnson III

Mike Hawkins Jr. will be the starter in 2026 and will be for the foreseeable future. The Mountaineers have a couple of other young quarterbacks with bright futures in Scotty Fox Jr. and Jyron Hughley, so there isn’t necessarily a straight line to playing time for Johnson at the position. If things go as expected with Hawkins, we are talking about 2 to 3 years for Johnson and others waiting their turn. That’s a lot of young talent fighting for one spot on the field.

At wide receiver, there are obviously more positions on the field, and ideally, six or seven guys can rotate into the game. The speed, acceleration, and make-you-miss ability are through the roof with this youngster, which is evident with his nearly 800 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground as a senior at Edna Karr High School in Louisiana.

I think it’s also safe to say that the coaching staff is open to the idea of moving him, considering they labeled him as an athlete when he signed back in December. Rich Rod did the same thing with Cam Vaughn at Jacksonville State, giving him an opportunity to play quarterback before quickly realizing that wide receiver was best for his future, and obviously that paid off.

It will be interesting to see if Johnson only reps a quarterback in fall camp or if he’s used at other positions throughout the season on the scout team. There are only so many guys on the roster who can replicate the speed and shiftiness that they will see on a weekly basis. Rodriguez knows more than anybody; you just have to find a way to get your best athletes on the field.