Darks, Johnson hungry to live up to potential

AMES – Budding stars as freshmen, expectations for Iowa State receivers Darius Darks and Sedrick Johnson last season were lofty.

They disappointed. And they know it.

Now they want to make up for it.

“I feel like I took a big step down when people were expecting me to do a whole lot better,” said Darks, who caught an ISU freshman record 49 passes in 2008 and had barely more than half that a year ago.

Both he and Johnson, a heavily-recruited 6-3, 210-pound wideout, were affected by injury.

Johnson suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season opener against North Dakota State and was never the same. He eventually lost his job to Jake Williams and finished the year with just seven catches.

He had 18, including three touchdowns, as a true freshman.

“I don't know if anybody is as disappointed or embarrassed about their performance in 2009,” Coach Paul Rhoads said. “Sedrick was more handicapped by that ankle injury than I ever led people to believe.”

Darks pulled a hamstring in training camp and didn't get himself together until mid-season.

Twenty-one of his 28 receptions came in the season's final five games.

“It gave me hope for the future,” Darks said. “I feel like I have something to prove now. That spark at the end of the season, coaches are expecting that out of me every game.”

Quarterback Austen Arnaud sees a fire in both players this spring.

“They are very hungry,” Arnaud said. “Those guys are going to make plays for us.”

The Cyclones need more playmakers period at the position.

Too many pass plays last season consisted of receivers going down to the turf right away.

“We have to do more after the catch,” said speedy receiver Josh Lenz, who showed last season as a true freshman he can do some things in the open field, “instead of just catching it and getting tackled.”

Johnson and Darks have the ability to gain yards after the catch. Coaches are looking to a now healthy Darius Reynolds for that, too.

The junior college transfer caught 13 passes in ISU's first two games last year, then sustained a season-ending leg injury two weeks later. He showed flashes of big-time ability.

ISU's longest pass play of the season to a receiver was 47 yards.

“We had some guys put up good numbers last year, but we have not presented a game-breaking threat and think Darius gives us that weapon,” Rhoads said.

Johnson is eager to win back his spot and live up to his potential.

“He has had as good an offseason as anybody in our program and he's very hungry to get started,” Rhoads said.