Meet the Tennessee Football Newcomers: Vols OL Ryan Johnson
Here is an analysis of incoming 2016 Tennessee football recruit Nathan Niehaus, who joins the Vols as an offensive tackle.
You can never have enough depth on your offensive line. And when you have an elite talent on the line in your home-state, recruiting rules are simple: you have to make sure that talent commits to your program, especially if you have to be selective about the talent in your state.
Related Story: Meet the Tennessee Football Newcomers: Vols LB Ja'Quain Blakely
Butch Jones knows this. So despite the fact that the offensive line is finally at the talent and depth level it needs to be, he made sure to bring in three new linemen for this class, the leader of which was Ryan Johnson.
A four-star in-state prospect on Rivals out of Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Johnson was an easy pickup and one of those gifts that just fall into your lap. He is a longtime Vols fan and committed to the program all the way back in July of 2014. Fortunately for Tennessee, he wasn’t going anywhere.
More fortunately, he is a rare talent on the line at offensive tackle at 6’6″ 290 pounds. Fresh out of high school, he only needs to put on a few more pounds to make sure he is an elite player in college, which a much smaller hurdle to climb than many other players in his position.
With his frame now, let’s take a look at what he can do.
Early Analysis
Already weighing 290 pounds, Johnson brings a rare level of athleticism to the position of offensive line that already makes him a strong talent. He has a 32-inch vertical and runs a 4.9-40, making him quick enough to stay with defensive ends and run people down.
It was almost impossible for ends to pull spin moves on Johnson in high school, as he stayed with them all the time, which is a huge plus going into college. And he made a habit out of pancake blocks off of his quickness. If you ran into him one-on-one, he would not stop until you hit the ground.
Johnson is also quick enough to take out two people on separate blocks on the same play. He is that great, and quite honestly, it’s very hard to find a weakness in his game as a freshman.
About the only concern for Johnson is the fact that he came from a shotgun-based offense with elements of the spread, and all the blocking schemes were spread blocking schemes even if he blocked more like a pro-style guy.
Yes, Jones and Mike DeBord do spread elements and base their offense in the shotgun, but it’s unique because the line always blocks like it’s in the I-Formation. Johnson will have to pick up some new techniques as a result, and he may be similar to Drew Richmond in needing a year to figure it out.
But his talent may already be there.
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What Ryan Johnson Brings to Tennessee
You heard it here first. Ryan Johnson is going to be a Tennessee football star in the future. He already provides depth on the offensive line, particularly at offensive tackle with Kyler Kerbyson gone, so do not be surprised if he sees early action on the line.
Heck, even with the hype behind Richmond, Johnson may even have a chance to compete for a starting spot in August if he is ready to pick up Jones’s and DeBord’s system.
But if, like Richmond, he does need a year to pick up the system, that’s fine. He will be a starter for the Vols by 2017.
On top of that, the likely scenario is that Johnson is a regular guy in the rotation this year even if he does not start. This is a guarantee on our end.