Johnston’s patience during TCU’s coaching change is paying off big
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston had options when it came to choosing his college destination, ultimately settling on TCU because of the two decades of coaching stability provided by Gary Patterson.
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The good news is that Johnston has learned that unforeseen obstacles aren’t always bad. Surprisingly, Patterson left TCU at the end of the 2021 season after 21 years, clearing the way for first-year coach Sonny Dykes, who has led the Horned Frogs (12-1) to the third-seeded College Football Playoff semifinals .
They will face No. 2 Michigan (13-0) on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl.
“Obviously, it worked out pretty well,” Johnston said with a smile. “I can’t complain.”
Johnston leads the Horned Frogs with 903 receiving yards and five touchdowns despite a slow start and a midseason ankle injury that limited his production.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver is expected to be a coveted prize in the upcoming NFL draft. His combination of size, speed and strong hands have some evaluators saying he will be the first catcher drafted and a potential top-10 pick.
On Saturday, he will try to make life miserable for the Wolverines. He’s healthier than he’s been for much of the season and had four catches for 139 yards against Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 3.
One thing teammates love about him: Johnston is decidedly low maintenance.
“The kid is an extremely hard worker and a great person to be around,” quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan said. “He wants to show up and grow to work. He wants to practice. He wants to do all the little, dirty things. He wants to lift weights.
“I think that’s what makes him such a good player. Obviously, we know what his talent is, but the type of person he is makes him special.”
Johnston is one of TCU’s top players, including Duggan and cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, who decided to stay with the Horned Frogs despite Patterson’s departure. It helped that Dykes had a good reputation around the program because he was an offensive analyst on the 2017 team, which finished with an 11-3 record.
“He was ready from the first meeting for Coach Dykes, sitting up front,” Johnston said. “Embrace everything and listen to what he had to say. I just thought about TCU football and not who coaches TCU football.”
Hodges-Tomlinson, also a potential first-round NFL draft pick, said adapting and thriving during a coaching change has been helpful and could help the pros.
“At the end of the day, you have to manage what’s at hand, regardless of what’s coming,” Hodges-Tomlinson said. “It happens like that in the NFL. You might get a new coach. You never know. New coordinator or something. So being able to handle the change is the main goal.”
Johnston has had a couple of mammoth games this season, including 14 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown against Kansas. A week later, he had eight catches for 180 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State.
He also had a touchdown catch against Texas in a 17-10 win. Patterson, who is now an assistant coach at Texas, was on the opposite sideline. Johnston said it was weird, especially when Patterson was doing the “Hook ’em Horns” sign, but they’ve stayed in touch.
The wide receiver said Patterson and his wife texted him after his ankle injury earlier this season, wishing him well.
“It was hard to get mad,” Johnston said. “You can’t stay somewhere forever. Everyone’s time comes to an end, so I just tried to put it into perspective. I just gave him my best wishes and hoped for the best for him going forward “.
The successful transition to Dykes has made it much easier. The Horned Frogs went 11-11 during Johnston’s first two seasons under Patterson. They are now two wins away from being national champions.
“To come this far, it’s something you can’t imagine,” Johnston said. “You can prepare, but once you’re here, it’s like, ‘I’m really here.’
“I worked for this, but still, you have to sit back and say I’m here.”
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