LINEBACKER COLBY JOHNSON BRINGS TRACK SPEED TO CU; MEET THE SAMMAMISH SLEDGEGHAMMER

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If you’re going to take a “flyer” on a less recruited high school football player, you might as well take a flyer.

CU received a commitment last week from linebacker Colby Johnson. Johnson, a 6’2” 195-pounder from Sammamish, Washington, can really run.  The Sammamish Sledgehammer has been timed at a 4.53 40-yard dash, which is faster than the average linebacker at this year’s NFL combine (combine LBs averaged a 4.54 40-yard dash time.)

A consensus three-star recruit, Johnson chose the Buffs over San Diego State, Washington State and Arizona. All major services rank him as a low-to-mid tier recruit: 247Sports’ composite has him as the #137 linebacker nationally and the #13 player in Washington, and On3 rates him the #116 linebacker nationally and the #14 player in Washington. Johnson had offers from San Diego State, Washington State, Arizona and Sacramento State.  

[Speaking of Sacramento State, the Hornets and 1^st year head coach Brennan Marion – architect of the GoGo offense — landed one of the best players in the 2026 class in 4-star WR Xavier McDonald.  McDonald committed over offers from Alabama, CU, Miami, LSU, Tennessee, and more. McDonald is ranked the #115 player nationally on the 247 composite.]

Johnson visited CU this summer and committed quickly thereafter.  He noted:

“Something that really stood out to me was the 200 years of NFL playing or coaching experience on the staff.  And I loved Boulder.  It’s beautiful with the mountains and green everywhere.  It is really warm and I could see myself fitting in there.”

Here’s to summertime official visits!

Elite Athleticism

While Johnson is not highly recruited, he is as good of an athlete at LB as CU has recruited in some time.  His 40-yard dash time is no fluke — he has ran a 10.8 100-meter dash, which is an Eastlake High School record and one of the fastest times by any 2026 linebacker in the nation.  This time would have been a top-20 time in the State of Colorado this year, inclusive of all high school classes.  This kid can run, folks.

Johnson clocked an 11.25 second 100-meter dash as a high school freshman, the 5^th fastest 100-meter dash by a freshman in the State of Washington.  Also, he doesn’t just have track speed.  He has been measured with a 36’ vertical jump, and a 285-pound power clean, which is very impressive for a 195-pound 17-year-old (and a 48 year old fat blogger).  

Physical Profile and Development

Johnson is lean by Power-Four standards. Scouts note he’ll need to add weight and strength to play inside at the FBS level. One CU source mentioned to me that “still needs to gain some weight to compete at this level.” (For reference, modern college/NFL linebackers average about 6′2″, 230–240 lbs.) 

Johnson’s low weight is probably why he isn’t ranked higher nationally.  Many teams don’t want to risk a scholarship on a linebacker where it remains to be seen if he can maintain his speed with an extra 30-35 pounds. 

The good news, however, is that he has the size – 6’2” — to put more weight on.  With his frame, strength training could feasibly bulk him into the 220–230 range, unlocking more power at the point of attack.

Greg Biggins of 247 praises his open-field tackling. In his scouting report, Biggins said:

“He’ll play linebacker at the college level but flashed at running back as well and is one of the top athletes in the state. He’s an excellent open-field tackler and can knife through gaps and moves really well laterally. Shows physicality at the point of attack as well and shows off the versatility to play inside or outside ‘baker at the next level. Has the frame to add good weight and play inside, but his ability to run and cover translates well to a role as a weak-side or cover linebacker.”

His tracking and coverage ability – combined with that 4.5-speed – means Colorado can move him around to chase receivers or cover backs if needed.

On-Field Fit at Colorado

I’ve been very critical of CU’s linebackers last year, LaVonta Bentley and Nikhai-Hill Green.  Both struggled mightily in pass coverage — Hill-Green’s pass coverage score on PFF was 51, while Bentley’s was 47, both well below average. From the eyeball test perspective, watching CU’s defense last year was hard due to the LBs struggling to defend passes to running backs and tight ends.  [As an aside, they also made Shilo Sanders look worse in the pass game than he was.]

Enter a player like Johnson.  Johnson’s speed should make him a plus-defender in the passing game, and he may give CU added flexibility if he can also play as a quasi-safety. His speed should also be valuable on special teams, where linebackers fit the perfect balance of speed and power necessary on punt and kickoff teams.

Deep analysis of game film (from junior year highlights) shows Johnson taking on blocks well, jumping routes, and tracking down ballcarriers sideline-to-sideline, validating the recruiting hype about his athleticism.

For a low 3-star player with few national offers, I’m excited about Johnson.  Yes, it’s an open question as to whether he can maintain his speed with an extra 30 or 35 pounds.  However, his physical profile marks him as a high-ceiling recruit.  It is possible that in 3 or 4 years we look back at his recruitment and wonder why he was so under-recruited.