SMU's Jeremy Johnson turning heads

August, 18, 2010
8/18/10
8:30
AM CT
UNIVERSITY PARK -- The SMU Mustangs continue practice in preparation for the season-opener at Texas Tech on ESPN on Sunday, Sept. 5.

And one player that continues to impress some folks is wide receiver Jeremy Johnson from Tyler John Tyler. Johnson, wearing No. 17 (Emmanuel Sanders' old number), is running good routes and getting on the same page with sophomore quarterback Kyle Padron.

"He's been one of the quickest freshmen I've had learn the system," head coach June Jones said.

Johnson was a quarterback at Tyler, but is making a smooth transition to wide receiver.

A few other notes:

* Jones wouldn't say exactly what his running back depth chart was, but did have some nice things to say about Zach Line. "He's a good blocking back and we're a passing team," Jones said. Senior Chris Butler and freshmen Kevin Pope and Darryl Fields are still competing for a spot.

* Padron has gained 15 pounds and his arm strength looks better, if you ask me. He was throwing a nice ball last season, but it's out of his hands quicker and with more zip these days. He credits off-season workouts and the fact that he's had a chance to throw thousands of balls. We'll have more on Padron leading into the season.

* A random sidebar: I liked the attitude of the Mustangs at practice on Tuesday. I saw players that were paying close attention, even those that weren't in the plays or drills at that time. It looks like a focused bunch to me.
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.

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