Claeys on Tyler Johnson: ..."for a true freshman, it’s unbelievable. Really is"

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bottlebass said:
I might get burned because I do not know if the Kill team recruited KJ Maye or not but you can't exactly say this. He may still make a roster in the NFL. Still also could completely bust your statement. His numbers last year as a freshman didn't heat my chili too hot but it definitely warmed it and he could be set for a break out year if our OLine can give mitch that extra half second he was missing last year. Add in someone like Tyler Johnson and some running backs who catch the ball to help spread the field and our pass attack could actually be pretty interesting beyond Lingen.
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KJ Maye stepped up and had a solid senior year but I would not put him in the class of true top WR that can change the way a team defends you because they have to account for him at all times. Not really sure anyone could make a strong argument that the WR recruiting has been good since the start of the Kill era. Maybe that will change with Still last year, Johnson this year, etc....but in recent years the production from the WR position has been severely lacking and as I said before while that can't all be laid at the feet of the receivers when you watch them on the field it really doesn't look like they are being held back, it mostly looks like they just aren't good enough to excel at this level.

Hopefully that starts to change and we actually see some semblance of a competent and who knows maybe even dynamic passing game. That would be awesome after what we have seen the past few years.
 

Tyler is the type of player that challenges a coach to get better because of the speed at which he learns. A coach will need to learn just to keep shoing the kid new things to work on. That is from first hand experience.

His father is squared away too and taught the kid right. I think he has captain potential, as long as he puts in the work to develop leadership skills (if he has not already).
 

It is Johnson. It isn't just Johnson. Howard. Smith. Leidner's foot. This year will be fun!
 

I think Johnson was a three sport athlete. That in itself is amazing in this day and age where specialization is stressed. He played high school baseball, football, and basketball. The baseball makes me think of Eric Decker and he was and is an excellent receiver.
 



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BarnBoy said:
Let's hope from a hype perspective that he's more Laurence Maroney The Freshman than Jeff Jones The Freshman. (I know he's not a running back).
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Don't think Jones got any hype, except for this site. You know how that always works out.
 

MNVCGUY said:
KJ Maye stepped up and had a solid senior year but I would not put him in the class of true top WR that can change the way a team defends you because they have to account for him at all times. Not really sure anyone could make a strong argument that the WR recruiting has been good since the start of the Kill era. Maybe that will change with Still last year, Johnson this year, etc....but in recent years the production from the WR position has been severely lacking and as I said before while that can't all be laid at the feet of the receivers when you watch them on the field it really doesn't look like they are being held back, it mostly looks like they just aren't good enough to excel at this level.

Hopefully that starts to change and we actually see some semblance of a competent and who knows maybe even dynamic passing game. That would be awesome after what we have seen the past few years.
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I agree that Maye is a different case because he wasn't a classic wide receiver. He mostly played in the slot and in Kill's offense, that often got him isolated or a low-risk option underneath the coverage. We haven't had a wide receiver that could consistently get "over" coverage since A.J. Barker. (Maxx Williams got deep quite a bit, but that resulted from a lot of inside/out patterns when he started out against a LB). Part of the problem is talent, but part of it is also the design of the Kill/Limegrover offense because it allows opposing corners to play soft on the outside.
 




MNVCGUY said:
KJ Maye stepped up and had a solid senior year but I would not put him in the class of true top WR that can change the way a team defends you because they have to account for him at all times. Not really sure anyone could make a strong argument that the WR recruiting has been good since the start of the Kill era. Maybe that will change with Still last year, Johnson this year, etc....but in recent years the production from the WR position has been severely lacking and as I said before while that can't all be laid at the feet of the receivers when you watch them on the field it really doesn't look like they are being held back, it mostly looks like they just aren't good enough to excel at this level.

Hopefully that starts to change and we actually see some semblance of a competent and who knows maybe even dynamic passing game. That would be awesome after what we have seen the past few years.
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I understand what you are saying and agree, but you have to remember the type of receiver you are talking about is very rare. You are asking for 1st round WR talent. Eric Decker went in the 80's if I remember, not sure we have ever had a 1st round WR (someone feel free to correct that). I'd be happy with having a draftable receiver every couple years. Which I think we could have with Still and some of the young guys we are bringing in. I'm not saying our WR recruiting has been a bright spot, I'm just saying your expectations are probably a little high even for the best teams.
 

bottlebass said:
I understand what you are saying and agree, but you have to remember the type of receiver you are talking about is very rare. You are asking for 1st round WR talent. Eric Decker went in the 80's if I remember, not sure we have ever had a 1st round WR (someone feel free to correct that). I'd be happy with having a draftable receiver every couple years. Which I think we could have with Still and some of the young guys we are bringing in. I'm not saying our WR recruiting has been a bright spot, I'm just saying your expectations are probably a little high even for the best teams.
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You can be a really good receiver and the type I am talking about without being a first round talent. You mentioned Decker who would be a perfect example of a non-first round guy that absolutely caused defensive coordinators to account for him on all plays. Recruiting elite skill guys to Minnesota will always be tough because there are not many of those guys in the state.

The staff doesn't need to find an elite receiver but it does need to fine an upgrade over what we have been getting the past few years which has been next to nothing. Maybe they hae with Johnson and Still, but the jury is still out on those guys at this point.
 

MNVCGUY said:
You can be a really good receiver and the type I am talking about without being a first round talent. You mentioned Decker who would be a perfect example of a non-first round guy that absolutely caused defensive coordinators to account for him on all plays. Recruiting elite skill guys to Minnesota will always be tough because there are not many of those guys in the state.

The staff doesn't need to find an elite receiver but it does need to fine an upgrade over what we have been getting the past few years which has been next to nothing. Maybe they hae with Johnson and Still, but the jury is still out on those guys at this point.
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We had that with Maxx and hopefully this year with Lingen. We shall see if Still can step up and be that guy. Wolitarsky when healthy can be that guy but then he doesn't catch the pass so I won't count on him. Hopefully Johnson is what they say he is, but as a true freshman I'm hesitant to get too high on expectations to contribute this year. Practice is one thing, but showing it on the field during an actual game is another.
 

highwayman said:
Don't think Jones got any hype, except for this site. You know how that always works out.
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Your memory is forgetting the way Kill and Co pimped him all Fall camp last year.


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A first round pick describing a kid who has not played in a single game might be described as a bit of a stretch.
 

WR is one of those positions where a true Freshman can make an impact. He doesn't have to have the entire offense down cold - just find 2 or 3 plays or patterns he runs really well, and save them for key moments in the game. One or two catches can swing the outcome of a game, if they result in a key 1st down or moves the team into scoring position. bottom line - this team needs to win games, and they need to have their best players on the field. If Johnson is one of the best players, he'll play. Hopefully, he'll contribute to a winning season.
 

bottlebass said:
We had that with Maxx and hopefully this year with Lingen. We shall see if Still can step up and be that guy. Wolitarsky when healthy can be that guy but then he doesn't catch the pass so I won't count on him. Hopefully Johnson is what they say he is, but as a true freshman I'm hesitant to get too high on expectations to contribute this year. Practice is one thing, but showing it on the field during an actual game is another.
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Maxx doesn't get them off the hook for WR recruiting. Maxx was awesome and Lingen looks solid and having a good pass catching TE is a great weapon to have (we have had a share of good TE go through here), but it doesn't put pressure on the defense the same way a downfield threat can at the WR position. When you have a receiver that is tough to cover 1 on 1 the defense has to use their safeties to help in coverage which takes them out of the middle of the field and opens things up.

The U has never really been a great WR U but at least we have had some pretty good players come through here. The past few years there has been basically no one that would inspire any kind of fear in a defense or cause defensive coordinators to lose any sleep trying to figure out how to stop him the way a Decker, or Ron Johnson, or even to a lesser degree a guy like McKinight could. Bottom line is the play of the WR has been pathetic for multiple seasons, hopefully one day it will go back to being solid, maybe even this year if things go right.
 

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I was taken aback at how excited he sounded about Tyler. Most of the times coached are pretty reserved when discussing freshmen, not TC today. He seemed pretty pumped that Tyler was going to be playing.
 

GopherHoleDigger said:
I was taken aback at how excited he sounded about Tyler. Most of the times coached are pretty reserved when discussing freshmen, not TC today. He seemed pretty pumped that Tyler was going to be playing.
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Me too. I got all giddy when he said, "Oh, there'll be no redshirt. You'll see him on Thursday."
 

Tyler Johnson, has "IT" get him the football and let the kid make plays. Sometimes coaches just know they have an elite talent and that the hype is "real" I believe coach Claeys sees that. He is just too talented to keep off the football field. Mitch would be wise to get the football in Johnsons hands, he is going to increase his receiving totals a lot just by YAC and shaking people loose.
 

I'm excited to see Johnson play. He was listed behind the enigmatic Brian Smith on the depth chart... I wonder how the snap count will shake out between those two. Anyone know if he's primarily been playing out of the slot, or outside?
 

Golden_Sloth said:
I'm excited to see Johnson play. He was listed behind the enigmatic Brian Smith on the depth chart... I wonder how the snap count will shake out between those two. Anyone know if he's primarily been playing out of the slot, or outside?
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I don't know for sure, but Wolitarsky and Still seem pretty entrenched as the outside guys. Eric Carter is doubtful and Johnson's skills seem a good match for the slot. My hope for him is to play Maye's role, but with more size and athleticism. Red zone nightmare from the slot, far too quick for a S/LB and should be adept at going up and getting balls over corners.
 


Coach flat out gushed about about him on the radio today. Talked about the catches he makes has the team in awe and that he has done everything from day #1. "He doesn't say anything, he just does it."
 



30-40 catches and 300-400 yards would have me ecstatic. Hope he can live up to the hype and continue to improve throughout the season
 

TJ6. Get used to it.


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Gopher07 said:
30-40 catches and 300-400 yards would have me ecstatic. Hope he can live up to the hype and continue to improve throughout the season
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I think that's asking a lot for his first game, but ok.
 

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