Somewhat surprisingly, Kansas has yet another starting member of its 2014 secondary to replace.
Friday afternoon, KU announced that Isaiah Johnson has decided to transfer out of the football program and finish his collegiate career at an undetermined locale. The only reason given for the parting of ways was “personal reasons.”
Johnson will graduate from KU in May, and will then move on to his new program. Because the defensive back will be a graduate transfer, he will be eligible to play in 2015 if he winds up at an FBS program.
This upcoming season will be his last year of eligibility.
“My time at KU has been a great experience,” Johnson said in a statement. “I have learned a lot from my coaches and have made friends I will keep for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, I will play my last year somewhere else, but I will always be grateful to Coach Beaty and his staff for all that they have done for me and how much he has helped me during this time.”
The loss of Johnson will be a significant one for first-year head coach David Beaty.
Johnson started all 24 games the past two seasons at strong safety for the Jayhawks. In 2013, he was named the Big 12’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year following a season in which he was second in the conference with five interceptions.
Add in the fact that KU was already set to replace the other three secondary starters, and the departure of Johnson, who played his high school football in North Carolina, will have a substantial impact.
“We would like to thank Isaiah for all of the contributions he made to our program during his time at Kansas,” Beaty said. “He has been a model citizen and teammate and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”