As Utah cornerback Kenan Johnson spoke to the group of reporters assembled around him after Tuesday’s practice, some familiar faces joined the scrum.
Some of Utah’s cornerbacks, including star Zemaiah Vaughn, were listening in to the interview, chiming in at times, including after Johnson said that he loved the defensive back group.
“We love you! We love you!” they said.
Then came a question from Vaughn.
“Do you feel like you are the fastest corner?”
“I think I am one of the fastest corners,” Johnson said, laughing.
It was a fun moment that showed how fast this team has embraced Johnson since he transferred in ahead of spring practices from Georgia Tech.
“We all close. We got a lot of confidence in one another. We all think we can do similar things and just help contribute to the defense,” Johnson said.
After moving cross country — Johnson grew up in Florida and attended Lake Minneola High before going to Georgia Tech — it initially took a little time for Johnson to get settled in Utah, as one might expect.
“I think initially it was tough because he came and it was cold and you are without a lot of the family,” cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah said this spring. “He had family in the Atlanta area, he’s from the South, he’s from Florida. So it was tough.”
But as he adjusted to Salt Lake City and got to know his new teammates, he not only meshed well with the program, but emerged as a leader in the position group during the spring.
The experience during spring camp proved to be invaluable to digesting and understanding Morgan Scalley’s defense — Shah said that Johnson is “incredibly intelligent” — and he’s feeling comfortable in fall camp.
“I mean, as far as the adjustments, I think fall camp, I’ve been coming along really well,” Johnson said. “I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable in the defense, starting to make a lot more sense in terms of alignment, assignment, things like that.”
After spending five years at Georgia Tech, he blossomed into a starter and became one of the most impactful players on the Yellow Jackets’ defense last season, with Pro Football Focus grading him as Georgia Tech’s fourth-best player. Johnson contributed 29 tackles, two forced fumbles, four pass deflections and an interception.
Johnson is no stranger to Power Four football, but whenever you transfer to a new team, there’s some adjustments you have to make and new terminology to learn.
The biggest difference between Utah’s defense and Georgia Tech’s, Johnson said during the spring, is how cornerbacks are given more of an opportunity to be left on an island and make plays, while also having more corner blitzes than the Yellow Jackets.
Another aspect that Scalley emphasizes is lighting-quick processing.
“Just being able to get aligned, knowing what I have to do, knowing the adjustments and more anticipating from what I see from the offense,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of been the main thing, but once I figured out what I need to do, I’ve been a lot more confident in lining up and knowing my technique and executing.”
Johnson entered the transfer portal ahead of his sixth season of college football in part because of Utah’s reputation for sending defensive backs to the NFL, including Jaylon Johnson, whose new deal makes hin one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league.
That, plus the opportunity to be coached by Shah, led him to Salt Lake City for his final year of eligibility.
“Just seeing him make all-conference corners year in year out was a big part of me wanting to come and try to be a part of a defense that could help produce those type of players, those caliber of players,” Johnson said.
The scenery was a bonus, but another aspect that sold him on the program was that it’s “all business,” something that will help him prepare for the next level.
Of course, the relationship is mutually beneficial, and Utah was looking to shore up its cornerbacks room after JaTravis Broughton transferred to TCU and Miles Battle signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Utes have Vaughn, the program’s best corner last season, but needed to fill the other outside cornerback spot.
That’s where Johnson comes in.
The 6-foot, 178-pound senior quickly became the leader for the starting position in the spring, and is set to start alongside Vaughn and nickel back Smith Snowden this fall. There was a setback with an injury — Johnson didn’t finish spring ball —but he’s back, healthy and producing at that early-spring level that had the coaches so impressed.
Johnson not only brings a wealth of experience to the position, but also his ability to process the game, his closing speed, his athleticism and his strength — Shah said this spring that he’s the strongest cornerback in the room.
He’ll be thrust into an impact role with less than a year of time with the program, but in the age of the transfer portal, it’s the new norm and it’s been successful — just ask Battle.
Utah is placing a big amount of trust in Johnson, and they believe he will reward them.
“Kenan Johnson’s doing a great job at corner … He’s playing exceptionally well,” Whittingham said.
