Kobe Johnson has not been in Fort Collins long but he’s already made a strong impression.
One of three North Dakota State transfers on the roster, all of which will contribute significantly in 2023, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound running back has turned heads with the way he’s performed in the scrimmages.
“Kobe’s going to be a really good player for us,” Jay Norvell recently said of the former FCS national champion.
“I think somebody who has really surprised us, or I guess I just didn’t know about was Kobe coming in this year at running back,” Jack Howell told reporters on Media Day. “What a valuable asset he’s going to be. I think the fans are going to be excited to have him.”
Coming off an extremely successful four-year run with the Bison in which he made 48 appearances and 16 starts, Johnson has already proven he can be a dependable player for a winning team. His career average of 6.7 yards per carry is impressive enough but his 2022 average of 7.4 YPC would have led the Mountain West by more than two yards a touch — though being fair to Brad Roberts, the former Air Force starter had a significantly higher volume of carries.
Although Johnson is technically moving up a level in competition by going from the FCS to the FBS, the speed of the game has not felt any different for him since transferring over to CSU. He told DNVR that the size of the players is comparable to what he experienced in Fargo, N.D. as well.
According to Johnson, the transition process has largely been smooth for him. He loves the weather and the people in Colorado. And from a football perspective he’s really enjoyed getting the ball in open space more than he did with the Bison. He feels that it allows him to showcase his speed and ability to make defenders miss.
Johnson explained that playing in this system for this staff is a big part of what made him believe CSU would be a good fit. Admittedly, though, it did help that Norvell really emphasized to him that despite running a vertical passing offense, having a consistent rushing attack is still a big priority.
“One of the things he told me is don’t get scared of the Air Raid thing because I want to get downhill,” Johnson said. “He told me he wants to run the ball, to pound the rock. Hearing that from a coach that is preaching the Air Raid, it was huge for me. Being part of the passing game as well, it should be fun. But hearing that he wants to run the ball like that, it was truly good to hear.”
Coming from a consistently successful program at NDSU to a squad that’s posted five straight losing seasons, Johnson, along with Tony Pierce and Dom Jones, bring a certain knowledge of what it takes to be a winner. That valuable firsthand experience is something that Norvell has brought up on a couple of instances this summer. The staff did not want to bring in just anybody from the transfer portal, they wanted guys that know how to handle themselves the right way.
Helping turn things around at CSU is a mindset that Johnson has really embraced since the beginning of his recruitment process. He explained how Norvell’s preachings really resonated with him and that he truly believes this program can be something special.
“I want to be a part of that. Getting this program to the next step,” Johnson said. “Being at North Dakota State for four years, you know, being part of such a traditional program, I feel like with that knowledge and that background, I can come here and kind of help elevate this program to that level.”
While it’s far too early to start predicting a double-digit win season or anything like what Johnson and his fellow former Bison were used to in the Missouri Valley Conference, the versatile running back does get the sense that this is a motivated team. He praised his teammates for their dedication on a daily basis. And it’s clear to Johnson that this group is sick of losing.
“I can tell they’re hungry and I’m just as hungry as them. Like I went 3-9 last year. I’m ready to go to war with them,” Johnson told DNVR.
Johnson’s 961 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns in 2022 were both career-high figures for the speedy running back that likes to mold his game after Alvin Kamara’s. As Johnson explained, when you watch the former Tennessee standout’s college film, much of his success stems from his balance, patience and decision making. Johnson hopes to emulate those same qualities that have allowed Kamara to be so productive in both the SEC and the NFL. The impact in the passing game as well.
He may not be the biggest guy on the field but as Johnson sees things, if you run the hardest, at the end of the day it really does not matter. No. 0 is going to put his foot in the ground and even try to go straight through a defender if he must.
“Fall forward. Always,” Johnson said.
“That’s what I’m going to try and do every run. I’m going to try and fall forward. I might get hit at the line of scrimmage for a gain of one but I’m going to make sure I’m going to fall forward for another two or three (yards).”
