Darius Johnson

[Silk]

Regardless of who the quarterback is next year, we all can agree that DJ is the lead guy among the receivers, right?

What I'm wondering is how he'll do as the top guy. Defenses will build their game plans around Zach Line and DJ before anyone else. In the past, DJ thrived in part because of the attention paid to Emmanuel Sanders, Aldrick Robinson and Cole Beasley.

It will be interesting to see if DJ has the personality to be the man, to demand the ball and go fight for it even when the defense knows it's headed his way. He looked much stronger physically last year than in his first two years, and hopefully that off-field work will carry over to a huge senior season.

[Stallion]

He's going to have a bigger year because QBs relied too heavily on Beasley. The Offense will run better going through Darius just like it did at TCU and in other games where the Offense didn't run through Beasley.

[JonesDoe]

The basis of the Run and Shoot relies on three or more receivers delivering nearly equal singular performances to deliver the whole.

[SMUer]

Here's an honest question. If the receivers are supposed to be watching and changing their routes according to coverage, and the QB is supposed to be watching the coverage and making the same reads as the receivers...and in four years we still aren't getting that part right...why aren't the QB AND the WRs jogging over to coach Jones after each play, if we really have to resort to that? I assume what Jones is telling the QB would be equally valuable to the receivers...right?

[LakeHighlandsPony]

DJ is the star-No Doubt. I would like to see Jeremy Johnson used more. He has the talent to be playing on Sunday.

[JonesDoe]

Here's an honest question. If the receivers are supposed to be watching and changing their routes according to coverage, and the QB is supposed to be watching the coverage and making the same reads as the receivers...and in four years we still aren't getting that part right...why aren't the QB AND the WRs jogging over to coach Jones after each play, if we really have to resort to that? I assume what Jones is telling the QB would be equally valuable to the receivers...right?

I imagine the QB brings forward that kind of information in the huddle on his return. Communication is a good thing.. I love it.. I am surprised there has not been a Rule to stop it..

[gostangs]

If you love the QB trot over to the sideline then you have no basic understanding of how an offense is suppose to work in college football today. That is the most embarrassing, non productive thing ever. It must end. Hope Orsini got rid of this right after the lei.

[Buddha]

1. The lei doesn't matter in the slightest. Let it go.
2. The trot to the sideline doesn't matter, either. Colt Brennan and Timmy Chang did it, and they put up video game numbers.
3. I disagree that the offense "relied too much" on Beasley. He was able to find seams in the defense and the quarterbacks found him. If Johnson (or another receiver) can do the same, he'll get a lot of passes thrown his way, too.
4. Amen on Jeremy Johnson. I don't know a lot of specifics, but everything I hear is that the guy is an exceptional athlete.

[gostangs]

The lei signifies loyalties are elsewhere - turns out it was very revealing. it is gone now thank god

the "trot" means you can't run a hurry up offense - which we will need in the BE. Putting up big numbers in the WAC is no big deal - as proven in the sugar bowl debacle and the fact that neither qb you mentioned went on from college to do anything.

[ojaipony]

IMHO ...

DJ is the real deal - look at the stats: when he got touches we won. When he didn't, we lost. Look at Tulsa and USM. And IMAGINE having the Spring and Summer with JP! Dude's a gamer. I think he has the drive to want to play on Sundays.

I think JJ will be better than Beasley.

And what about Keenan Holman? I think we limited him after his injury in 2011 but he was really coming on in 2010. I expect him to be a big factor this year.

With Thompson stretching the defense, DJ getting the ball quickly in space and getting the YAC, JJ getting the ball underneath in the slot, Holman being a possession type receiver and maybe even perhaps Holleman (or Dieter) up top, this offense should be SICK in 2012. Video numbers indeed! (and we're not even talking about all the other guys that could contribute: Loftin, Joseph, Sims, Guinyard, Joubert, Walker, and possibly even Stewart and Lagasse if not redshirted).

[Football4ever]

The offense and the quarterback never "relied" on Beasley. He was good at finding openings in the zones and in man on man coverage could beat just about any guy covering him on the short routes that would get us first downs. And this past season his hands were very very reliable.

DJ had opportunities because of the attention payed to Beasley by defenses and Beasley had opportunities because of the attention payed to DJ.

DJ will get his catches and yards this year, but he will do even better if JJ or anybody can step up at the other receiver positions to draw attention from the defense like Beasley did.