When Gus Malzahn announced last week that Jovon Robinson had been dismissed from the team, it left Auburn without its top running back heading into the season.

However, it also introduced the college football world to Kerryon Johnson, the sophomore who is expected to benefit most from Robinson’s dismissal. In one day, he went from having a role on offense to being the focal point of the offense.

Running back Kerryon Johnson was thrust into the spotlight after Auburn dismissed leading returning rusher Jovon Robinson from the team. Greg McWilliams/Icon Sportswire

“It was scary,” Johnson told reporters last week. “A few days ago, [Kamryn Pettway] and I are looking at our own specific roles on the team. Then a day goes by, a lunch goes by, and now we’re thrown into the spotlight.”

The hurdle

Johnson has been in the spotlight before. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, ranked No. 20 overall in the ESPN 300. And he won back-to-back-to-back state championships while at Madison Academy.

But his illustrious high school career might be summed up best by one play.

It was his senior year. The game, an in-state showdown against Leeds, was being televised on ESPNU. And on a night where he rushed for over 200 yards, there was one play that stood out above the others. He got to the second level of the defense and when a defender tried to go low to tackle him, he simply cleared him with one jump and kept running.

“When I saw it, it was one of those ‘wow’ plays, one of those ‘wow’ moments,” his father Kerry Johnson said. “But as great as that play was, I’ve seen him make better plays. He’s just so instinctive. I’ve seen him make several plays where you just go ‘how did he do that?’”

The crazy part about this particular play was that the referees called it back. Evidently, you’re not allowed to hurdle players at the high school level.

“It’s funny,” the elder Johnson said. “He probably made a similar play to that five or six times, and it really wasn’t until his senior year that he got flagged for it.”

The Wildcat

As much as that one play was indicative of the talent and ability Johnson had while in high school, there’s one formation that will be synonymous with his freshman season at Auburn -- the Wildcat formation.

Malzahn unveiled the formation for the first time against San Jose State last year with Johnson taking snaps as the quarterback. Two weeks later, Johnson scored his first career touchdown -- a 6-yard run against Kentucky -- out of that same Wildcat formation.

He had found his niche.

And though his opportunities were limited due to injuries and other players in front of him, Johnson made the most of those opportunities. He averaged four yards per carry and finished with 208 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think he felt like he did well with the opportunities that he had,” Kerry Johnson said. “With any competitor, he wanted more touches. But he trusted the coaching staff, and I think he felt good with the opportunities and the production with those opportunities.”

Johnson might still find himself running the Wildcat at times this season, but he will no longer have to worry about a lack of touches.

The opportunity

At the end of last season, Johnson envisioned a similar role for the 2016 season. He’d be the speed guy on the outside. He’d be the player who could catch passes out of the backfield or run the Wildcat formation. He’d continue to help on special teams as a returner or in coverage.

He never thought he’d be Auburn’s best candidate to break 1,000 yards, not with all three of the team’s top rushers expected back this fall.

But then, one by one, they all dropped off. Peyton Barber declared early for the NFL draft. Roc Thomas transferred to Jacksonville State. And most recently, Robinson was dismissed from the team. All of a sudden, Johnson was the last man standing in what was once a crowded backfield.

So can he seize the opportunity? Can he be that 1,000-yard back that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing at Auburn over the years?

“That’s a big challenge,” Johnson said. “But I’ve never doubted myself, not once in my life. I believe I can do it. I believe we can have two 1,000-yard rushers, three. However many we need to win, that’s what we’re going to do.

“Talk is cheap, though. We have to go out there and prove it starting Sept. 3.”