The leader of #fUTure19 will join the quarterback room in January.
By Joe Hamilton | BurntOrangeNation.com
Dec 19, 2018, 7:28am CST
A four-star recruit residing from the Golden Triangle, Johnson was poised for success early as a quarterback for the Indians. As a sophomore, he set the bar high for himself producing astronomical numbers that he would continue to generate throughout the remainder of his high school career. Johnson’s video game stats speak volumes of the caliber of player the Longhorns are receiving — 7,710 career passing yards, 4,900 career rushing yards, and 170 total touchdowns over his career (85 passing and 85 rushing).
Johnson’s decision to choose the Longhorns over schools like Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Texas A&M was a no-brainer for him. Austin is where Johnson knows he’ll be the most comfortable and successful at the end of the day.
“I committed there because of the people there, their past success and what they’ve been able to accomplish,” Johnson told BON. “So I know what they can do.”
Johnson was the first of the #fUTure19 group to commit to the Longhorns, as he made a verbal pledge to Texas during the summer of 2017. The elite quarterback has been the leader of the class and remained a clear commit ever since he made his decision.
With the addition of Johnson, the Longhorns quarterback room will presumably be deep heading into the offseason with Sam Ehlinger as the for sure starter, along with former four-star 2018 signees Cameron Rising, Casey Thompson, and former starter Shane Buechele.
Johnson will be the new kid on the block, but outside of Thompson, Johnson may be the only quarterback with a skill set that head coach Tom Herman and offensive coordinator Tim Beck have been accustomed to winning with in previous years prior to Texas. Having said that, Ehlinger has made it clear that he is here to bring the Texas program back to an elite level during his tenure at UT.
While Johnson has always admired Ehlinger’s game dating back to his high school years at Austin Westlake, he’ll be coming into the Forty Acres ready to compete for the starting spot. The competitiveness boiling in Johnson’s vein’s won’t allow him to arrive in Austin with any other mindset.
“I’m not shying away from any competition,” Johnson said. “I mean, I want it just as bad as [Sam] does. When I get there I’m going to focus on myself and what I can contribute to the whole team.”
What will Johnson bring to the Longhorns program?
Johnson has a field general mentality in any situation when he’s behind the center. The potent style of football he plays allows him to hurt defenses either through the air or on the ground. The aggressiveness Johnson runs with when he tucks the ball away and takes off opens up throwing lanes for him to drive the ball to his receivers. That very reason is why he was able to rack up over 12,000 yards of total offense throughout his high school play.
Johnson will have some things to work on with his throwing mechanics, specifically with the lower extremities, but the upside is most certainly there due to Johnson’s will to be great and his overall athletic ability.
He possesses the attributes of a quarterback that can take the Big 12 conference by storm in his first season as a starter and potentially become a household name across the nation with a season under his belt with the Longhorns. The addition of Johnson has only made the Horns even more lethal.
The last stop for Johnson before he departs to Austin will be Orlando, Fla. for the Under Armour All-American game, where he will compete against some of the nation’s best talent.
At 6’1, 192 pounds, Johnson is ranked as the nation’s No. 214 prospect, the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback, and as the No. 28 player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
