OXFORD | Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco named Cooper Johnson his starting catcher more than three weeks prior to the season opener, putting a lot of confidence in the true freshman.
Others will also catch, including, most notably, sophomore Nick Fortes, who was the Rebels' highest rated signee in the 2015 class. But Johnson will get first chance to lock down the position and become a notable name in Bianco's tenure.
Ole Miss hasn't had a true freshmen catch the majority of the innings in a season under Bianco. Taylor Hightower caught 14 games with two starts in 2009 and eventual catcher and Johnny Bench finalist Will Allen started 25 games at first base in 2011.
Johnson was a unanimous top-100 high school prospect, including No. 39 by Perfect Game. Defense is his speciality, but Johnson hit better than expected in the fall. With his debut days away, here's some of what teammates and coaches are saying about him.
Related: Johnson excited to be done with showcase circuit]
Ole Miss starting pitcher Brady Feigl: "First of all he has a cannon of an arm. Behind the plate he’s really good. He gives you a nice, low target which is helpful, and he has great hands and can receive really well. He doesn’t get flustered, takes it as it comes.
"With Coop (the moment that impressed most) was an intrasquad with Kyle Watson on first and I’m pitching. Kyle got a great jump and I’m a 1.3 or 1.4 to the plate which isn’t fast by any means and Coop scooped a slider in the dirt and came up in the same motion and thew Kyle out at second. Wow."
Bianco: "To this point, Cooper's shown me defensively he can be a game changer with his arm and his quick release. There's times in intrasquads where you just shake your head."
“Everybody talks about his talent and certainly he’s talented but the remarkable thing is his work ethic and hunger to be better. From the day he stepped on campus he’s had that thirst. I’m proud of him for his steps forward offensively and defensively. That’s why you come here, to get better.
"If we didn't think they could handle it, we wouldn't put them there. There's enough depth and talent on the field that they've earned that right. They'll step out there and contribute immediately. There's also a learning curve. They'll always get better. It doesn't matter how good you are. If you're going to be a first rounder in three years, then the goal for everyone is to get better."
Ole Miss starting pitcher David Parkinson: "It was good to really get to know Cooper from the beginning (of the fall). It's going to be a really good relationship. I have all the trust in the world with them. Coach B wouldn't play them if they weren't ready."
Ole Miss freshman Thomas Dillard: "He's an amazing catcher. With receiving and even how loud he is, he's a loud human being, and it helps out back there for sure. He has one of the best arms I've ever seen behind the plate. He's gotten to be one of my good friends, and I'm excited for the opportunity that he has. It's both velocity and release with him. He's so quick and he'd probably be in the 90s if he threw off the mound, but he just has a really good, plus arm."
East Carolina head coach Cliff Godwin: "Cooper is obviously very special, a special talent to be named starter as a freshman. Mike, (Carl) Lafferty, (Mike) Clement and myself when I was there, we were hard on catchers because all of us were catchers. So he's definitely been tested in the fall and preseason and they've put as much pressure on him as he's going to see. Obviously he's handled that well.
"The biggest challenge as a freshman is to be consistent. Obviously his talent will take over at times, but you're talking about 56 regular season games in a tough conference. The ups and downs and you're probably going to have failure. That's the toughest thing for freshmen."
