Johnson, Wilson show offseason improvement in Western Carolina win
LITTLE ROCK — Their names are pronounced the same, but that's not the only thing Arkansas receiver Jaedon Wilson and defensive back Jayden Johnson have in common.
Both are third-year players with the Razorbacks and each of them displayed the strides they took over the offseason in the Hogs' season-opening 56-13 win over Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday.
A cracked tibia suffered in a car accident cut Wilson's spring short, and a shoulder injury that occurred in practice about a week and a half ago nearly put his availability for Saturday's game in jeopardy. Despite all the obstacles in his way, Wilson managed to take a screen pass 65 yards to the house for Arkansas' first touchdown of the season.
"I told him if you don't want to come out don't get tackled, and he sure didn't," head coach Sam Pittman said after the game. "I thought (Isaac) TeSlaa did a great job of blocking outside for him. But he showed some speed going down the sideline."
That reception was just Wilson's fourth of his career, it was his first touchdown and it went for 16 more yards than his previous overall career total (49). He added two more receptions on the afternoon to reach a total of three catches for 83 yards and a score — all of which are easily career-highs.
"For me, it's been more of a 'put my head down and grind to become one of those guys," Wilson said. "I've always been wanting to be one of those guys. When I had the chance, I just put my head down and grinded when I got there."
He could've decided to sit out Saturday's game against a lesser opponent and get himself 100% right, but Wilson battled through the shoulder injury and it paid off big time.
"I would just say I’m a tough player," Wilson said. "I’m just the type of person that’s going to get through what I need to get through to do what I want to do on the field. I could’ve stopped in the game. I could’ve told them my shoulder was hurting, but I feel like that’s not me and I just played through it."
As for Johnson, he's had much more opportunity to play during his time in Fayetteville than Wilson has. It hasn't always been pretty for the 6-foot-2, 206-pound native of Cedartown, Georgia, but he started his junior season on the right foot Saturday.
"Just the coaches that we brought in, they helped a lot and just sat me down and talked to me about how I've got to be consistent," Johnson said. "So, that was something that I worked on during the offseason, and I got a lot stronger and faster. Just our group, our DB group, it's happiness, peaceful, and we like to have fun. That helped a lot."
Last season, Johnson's Pro Football Focus grade of 45.3 in 476 snaps ranked dead last of any Razorback defender. It's safe to say the new defensive staff — DC Travis Williams, Co-DC Marcus Woodson, secondary coach Deron Wilson — was a welcome change for a player like Johnson.
His improvements were extremely evident as he forced a fumble, recorded an interception and totaled five tackles. He was much more disciplined tackling in the open field, something he struggled with last year, when he earned a 30.8 tackle grade from PFF.
"Ever since spring ball he's done really well," Pittman said. "He had to earn his spot. I mean, he did, and he'll tell you, but he did. He's playing good football. Very physical guy and I've called him out in front of the team, him and Jaedon Wilson both about how they have changed.
"They're the only ones who can change. In life, if you're waiting for somebody else to change you, you're going to be left out. They both changed their attitude about what they wanted and what they're willing to work for. I'm proud of them. I'm proud of all the kids, but those two guys in particular because they've come a long way."
Johnson and Wilson didn't just show flashes, they were game-changers in a contest that the Razorbacks needed to make a statement in against a lesser foe. While they'll have to continue to prove it against tougher competition, Saturday's performance was a good sign of what's to come from Wilson and Johnson this season.
Arkansas' next opponent will be the Kent State Golden Flashes, who will travel down to Fayetteville on Saturday, Sept. 9 to take on the Razorbacks for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.