Northwestern football’s Covey, Johnson set for elevated roles

After Northwestern’s Tuesday morning practice officially wrapped up in Ryan Fieldhouse, redshirt junior wide receiver Calvin Johnson II and redshirt freshman wide receiver Frank Covey IV remained on the turf, refining their routes ahead of Saturday’s pivotal clash with Iowa.

Just three days earlier, graduate student wide receiver A.J. Henning missed the final three quarters of the Wildcats’ 23-3 loss to Wisconsin due to an upper-body injury. Once Henning went down, wide receivers coach Armon Binns immediately pulled aside Covey and Johnson.

“It’s something we preach all day, every day,” Johnson said. “Coach Binns didn’t bat an eye. He came up to both of us and was like ‘The game plan is not changing. I got complete confidence in both of y’all. Let’s go work.’”

Coach David Braun didn’t explicitly label Henning’s injury status during his Monday press conference, but he said NU received positive news about its receiving touchdown leader’s “long-term health.”

Now, Braun said Covey and Johnson — who have hauled in a combined 10 receptions for 71 yards this season — must translate the flashes they’ve shown on the practice field to game action.

“They have no choice but to be ready,” Braun said. “Frank Covey is a guy since the day I stepped on campus — we came in at the same time — has impressed me from day one … CJ Johnson, anyone that was around spring ball and fall camp (knows) he’s one of our most consistent, dynamic performers. If A.J. is not ready to go … those guys are up to the challenge.”

Covey and Johnson both played a bevy of roles in high school prior to joining the ’Cats. During his time at Mississippi’s French Camp Academy, Johnson took snaps at quarterback, wide receiver, free safety and cornerback in addition to returning kicks and punts.

Johnson said playing multiple positions provided invaluable knowledge of the game through various mindsets.

“Playing so many different positions, you get to see the game in different ways, and playing some quarterback helps you get on the same page with the guy throwing the ball,” Johnson said. “You’re not just running routes, you’re reading defenses. My experience playing on the other side of the ball helped because I’m always thinking, ‘If I was a DB, how would I react?’”

Less than 20 miles away from NU’s Evanston campus, Covey rose to statewide prominence as a quarterback at Prospect High School.

The Arlington Heights native, who accumulated 15 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores during his junior season, credited Binns with helping him develop his fundamentals as a wide receiver. Covey made the transition to a full-time wideout as a high school senior.

“I came in playing only two years of receiver before, so I didn’t know much about technical stuff with route running, which was something I really wanted to improve on,” Covey said. “He’s just always helping me get better. He’ll coach you hard because he loves you. He’ll be the first one down the field when someone makes a big play because he’s just as happy as you are.”

Both players said they’ve learned countless lessons from veterans with whom they’ve shared a wide receiver room. Johnson pointed to Stephon Robinson Jr. and current Miami Dolphins receiver Malik Washington as players he looked to emulate earlier in his collegiate career.

Covey said he leaned on Cam Johnson — a graduate student wide receiver in 2023 — for advice during his true freshman campaign last season. He added that they both possess similar statures and play styles as bigger wide receivers on the boundary, and Covey consistently consulted his veteran counterpart during meetings and practices.

The redshirt freshman saw immediate playing time after enrolling early in Winter Quarter 2023, but he sustained an injury in the season-opener at Rutgers that ultimately led to him preserving his eligibility after participating in just two games.

“I early enrolled, worked super hard just to get that opportunity, and in the first game ended up going down,” Covey said. “It was a blessing in disguise just to realize that it can be taken away at any time. So just work your ass off and play every play like it’s your last.”

Binns said he challenged Henning and graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz to step up as vocal leaders ahead of the season, and they’ve elevated the entire position group’s play.

Even if Henning can’t be cleared for Saturday’s game, Binns said he trusts the depth in the wide receiver room to shine in his stead against a perennially stout defensive unit.

“This goes back to the spring and challenging the entire room,” Binns said. “One thing I wanted to improve as a coach this year is doing a better job of utilizing all the talent we have in that room. We have so many kids that can impact the game. When a guy isn’t in there, we don’t blink on offense. It’s awesome to finally see them get opportunities.”

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