Rookie Profile: WR Quentin Johnston

Quentin Johnston - WR - TCU

Listed Measurables:

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 208 LBS

Arms: 33 5/8”

Hands: 9 5/8”

Age: 21.4 Y/O

Early Declare: Yes

Breakout Age: 19

2023 NFL Combine Grades:

40 Yard Dash: N/A

10 Yard Split: N/A

Bench Press: N/A

Vertical Jump: 40.5"

Broad Jump: 11'2"

3 Cone Drill: N/A

20 Yd Shuttle: N/A

Career Notes:

Getty Images

Quentin Johnston attended Temple High School in his hometown of Temple, Texas, receiving a four-star recruitment rating and several high-profile scholarship offers. A three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track and field, Johnston averaged 13.3 points per game and 6.8 rebounds on the blacktop while racking 45 receptions for 923 yards and 16 touchdowns on the gridiron. 

A highly-coveted athletic monster, Johnston would initially commit to Texas before flipping his enrollment to TCU amidst several coaching changes at the former program.

Accolades:

•4 Star Recruit

•Led TCU in REC YDS as a True Freshman

•Led TCU in REC YDS and REC TD as a Sophomore (8 GP)

•Holds the Big 12 Record for most YPR (22.8) as a True Freshman

•2× First Team All-Big 12

•2022 Fiesta Bowl Winner

•Biletnikoff Award semifinalist

Past Production/Collegiate Career:

Johnston was immediately named a starter after committing to TCU, becoming their primary receiver as a true freshman. In his inaugural collegiate season, the big-bodied wideout hauled in 22 passes for a team-high 487 yards (22.1 YPC) and two touchdowns. Johnston’s 22.1 YPC stands as the highest mark by a true freshman in the history of the Big 12 Conference. Johnston would improve on his stellar freshman season as a sophomore, recording 33 receptions and once again leading TCU in receiving yards (612) and receiving touchdowns (6). TCU decided to up their passing volume in Johnston’s third and final collegiate season, allowing for a significant leap in production for their star wideout. As a junior, the hulking speedster caught 60 passes for 1069 yards with six touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Big 12 in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Following a devastating blowout loss to Georgia in the National Championship, Johnston announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

Stats to Know:

USA Today Sports

• Forced a total of 45 missed tackles across three seasons at TCU, ranked 8th amongst all Power 5 conference WR during that time.

• In 2022 he forced 18 missed tackles in 13 games.

• Led TCU in receiving yards as a true freshman despite playing in only eight games.

2020 Stats (19 Y/O Freshman):

8 GP

22 REC

13.4% REC Share

41 TGT

15.1% TGT Share

487 REC YDS (2 TD)

24.8% REC YDS Share

22.1 YPR

1.79 REC YDS/TPA

0.72 REC YDS/TA

18.2% REC TD Share

5.8% OFF TD Share

2021 Stats (20 Y/O Sophomore):

8 GP

33 REC

22.0% REC Share

61 TGT

26.2% TGT Share

634 REC YDS (6 TD)

32.3% REC YDS Share

19.2 YPR

2.25 REC YDS/TPA

0.81 REC YDS/TA

47.4% REC TD Share

15.0% OFF TD Share

2022 Stats (21 Y/O Junior):

14 GP

60 REC

20.5% REC Share

86 TGT

24.1% TGT Share

1069 REC YDS (6 TD)

32.6% REC YDS Share 

17.8 YPR

2.85 REC YDS/TPA

1.26 REC YDS/TA

18.2% REC TD Share

6.4% OFF TD Share

Collegiate Career Totals:

32 GP

114 REC

199 TGT

2165 REC YDS

14 Total TD

16.4 YD aDOT

840 Snaps

398 Routes

2.6 YPRR

89.8% Wide Rate

10.1% Slot Rate 

Collegiate Career Bests:

26.2% TGT

27.7% TGT/Route

99.8% Route Share

2.96 REC YDS/TPA

1.26 REC YDS/TA

3.05 YPRR

39.9% DOM

Scouting Report:

NFL Draft Grade: 6.40 (Will Become Good Starter Within Two Years)

Next-Gen Draft Grade: 85 (Good)

Scouting Strengths:

247 Sports

• Thicc Boi, Run Quick.

• Absolute YAC monster, evidenced by 45 forced missed tackles across three seasons at TCU.

• A nightmare to stop in the open field with big-play ability at all three levels.

• 97.1 receiving grade when targeted on post routes (PFF). 

• Laser-timed 4.4-second 40-yard dash in college. Outstanding speed and quickness for an athlete of his size. 

• Incredible vertical leap and strength to shrug off multiple defenders in mid-air.

• Great timing on jump balls.

Scouting Weaknesses:

• Body-catcher. Drops, drops and more drops.

• Eight dropped passes in the 2022-23 season (14th most in NCAA, 2nd most amongst players with under 100 targets).

• Surprisingly poor run-blocker for his size. Received a 60.5 run-blocking grade from PFF.

• TCU refused to cater to his talents, electing to rely on the run game during his tenure.

• Extremely low RY/TA, evident of TCU’s refusal to incorporate a supposedly uber-talented weapon into their offense.

Expected Draft Capital:

•Projected Round: 1st

•EDP: 17.9

•Consensus Position Rank: WR1

Consensus Landing Spot:

Houston Texans

Best NFL Fit:

New England Patriots

Houston Texans

Chicago Bears

Top NFL Player Comparisons:

Jerry Jeudy

Amon-Ra St. Brown

CeeDee Lamb

Gabe Davis

Allen Lazard

Corey Davis

Mile Williams

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 

Laquon Treadwell

*All Comparisons are subject to change with athletic grades and draft capital.

Future NFL/Fantasy Outlook:

Johnston has near-perfect measurables and intangible athleticism. His towering size and legit burner speed are sure to make the young receiver one of the most coveted prospects in the upcoming class. The red flags within Johnston’s profile are duly noted but there are very few receivers that can match his upside should he round out said profile with top-20 draft capital.

Landing spot and the offensive scheme will play a major role in Johnston’s development as he is not nearly as polished in the nuances of route running and timing when compared to prospects such as Jordan Addison or Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

With that said, no wideout possesses the raw size and on-field athletic prowess of the 6’3”, 208lbs Johnston.

Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.

You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at BRoto Fantasy Football.

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By Matt Ward