Quentin Johnston has found himself in the end zone quite a bit in Year 2.
The 2023 Chargers first-round pick has caught six touchdown passes in eight games so far this season, including one in each of the last three games. He ranks third in the AFC in receiving touchdowns and third on the Bolts in receiving yards with 354 on just 22 receptions.
Chargers.com recently caught up with Johnston ahead of Week 12 on his impressive year and the progression of the wide receiver group.
Here's our 1-on-1 conversation with Johnston:
Thank you for your time, Quentin. Seems like you've had a knack for finding the end zone in Year 2. What's been working for you there?
"Honestly, it's just the right place, right time. Just trying to be as available as I can for my quarterback, and it's been working out for me this year. I'm definitely happy about that."
Entering your second year, you expressed confidence in your offseason training. How have you seen it manifest on the field?
"I see it in my game a lot. I always go back and talk about last year and how it wasn't the best for me. I just forced myself to a position where I had to flip the switch and be like, I just have to be better. There was no, 'Okay, just do a little bit here.' I had my mind during the offseason on being the top guy. It was just something I had coming into the year."
How much of it was also just continuing to build the rapport with Justin Herbert?
"For sure. It had a lot to do with it. Especially having that one year under my belt, just knowing the ins and outs of everything, kind of getting a better feel of how Justin plays and how he wants me to play for him during the offseason and stuff like that."
Is it also just getting to know him more in the meeting room and off the field and do you see it when you're on the field?
"100 percent. For sure. It's a connection, confidence and at the end of the day it's just trust. I spent a lot of time working on that trust and everything. We got it."
Since Day 1, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh expressed his confidence in you. What did that mean to you and what's it been like having him here?
"That's what every player wants to hear from a coach, that must mean he really believes that. Him and the rest of the coaching staff got all the confidence in the world in me, as I do in myself. Shoot, once I believe in myself and the coaches believe in me, anything anybody else got to say doesn't really matter at that point."
One of those coaches is your wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal. What has he meant to your progression?
"He's in my corner like Coach Harbaugh is. From Day 1, he told me what he expects out of me and he always holds me and everyone else in the receiver room to a high standard day in and day out. We always try to go and meet that standard."
As a wide receiver room, the unit has really continued to round out as the season has gone on. What's the next level you guys think you can reach as a unit?
"We're a super tight group. We're always doing things off the field as well. But I feel like we could get better and better. We got to keep going at it in practice and elevate more and more each week."
Last one, but the team is 7-3 and right in the playoff mix. How excited are you for this final stretch of the season to try and make a push?
"Very excited. But at the same time, we can't get too high or too low or anything. We have to keep a poker face and stay even keeled through the whole thing."
