Kansas will get a visit today from Andrew Johnson
When Andrew Johnson takes his official visit to Kansas today, he is going to feel like he already knows the offensive line scheme.
Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman from San Diego Mesa College, will start his visit with a familiarity how KU offensive coach Scott Fuchs coaches.
“I’ve been talking to him,” Johnson said. “I’ve actually already watched a lot of his old Buffalo film.”
Mesa runs the wide zone scheme and they have looked at other college programs film. Fuchs happens to be the coach they have studied the most.
“Yeah, it’s crazy how we have watched it and now I am going to visit there,” he said. “Me and my offensive line coach we were talking about how we came to a realization when he started recruiting me.
“We watched Buffalo probably the most of any team. We run their wide zone very similar. We It was crazy to how I already been studying the playbooks not even knowing this whole time.”
The offensive line coach who plays those clips is Michael Chevalier and he has seen the talent from Johnson after coaching him for a season.
“Andrew is an awesome character guy, who is an elite athlete,” Chevalier said. “He’s a two-time All-American wrestler out of high school and he has been nothing but blue collar here in JUCO. He is fast and strong with sharp change of direction and loves contact. A humble guy who isn’t afraid to go full gorilla on people.”
Wrestling has played a factor helping him grow into a division one football prospect.
“I think every offensive lineman should wrestle,” Johnson said. “I think it helps you with understanding where your balance is. Understanding how to manipulate peoples weight the way you want. It just helps a lot to be honest. I think all offensive line should wrestle growing up.”
Johnson had to pull off a miracle to wrestle his senior season at Poway High School. He tore his ACL the first day of football practice and missed the whole season. But he worked hard and returned to the mat, something that most would not be able to do.
“It was crazy, but I had too,” he said. “I've been wrestling for Poway’s program since I was five. I owe so much to that program and the coaches. I had to come back. There were long nights, eating all the time, around midnight when I was going in the pool. I would do sprints and jumps for about an hour-and-a-half every night. Get a workout in as well. And then, thankfully I got to wrestle the last four weeks of my senior season.”
Another impressive feat Johnson has accomplished are the numbers he puts up in the weight room. There are some eye-opening numbers with a 590-pound quat. He also benches 405 and cleans 325 pounds.
Putting that effort in the weight room is something new to him.
“In high school I never worked out,” he said. “I just didn't work out and after I tore my ACL I kind of just realized I needed to start. Then I worked my tail off. I found a love in the weight room. I just love working out now. I've only been working out for about a year and a half, two years now.”
Johnson is eligible to leave Mesa this summer. He has taken an official visit to Oregon State and Kansas will get their turn today.
“The visit to Oregon State was a good time,” he said. “It was my first official. I’m looking forward to seeing Kansas. I'm excited to meet the players, the coaches, and see the culture.”