Texas Football: Predicting next 2021 Longhorns commit

1) Next commit in 2021 Texas football recruiting class: LJ Johnson

Maybe the most important target that is emerging for the Longhorns for the remainder of this recruiting cycle is four-star Cy-Fair elite running back product LJ Johnson. This highly coveted 5-foot-10 and 205 pound rusher hailing out of Cypress, TX, is one of two top targets that Texas has remaining at the position.

The other is the top ranked running back prospect in the nation and Lakeview Centennial product Camar Wheaton. But Texas probably won’t be able to get commitments from both Wheaton and Johnson in their 2021 class. They’ll have to pick one or the other.

The recruitment of Johnson appears to be mostly coming down to the Longhorns and their in-state rival Texas A&M Aggies. Head coach Jimbo Fisher is battling Herman and running backs coach Stan Drayton right down to the wire to try and nab the commitment of Johnson.

Johnson already holds 40 schools on his impressive offer sheet. The highlighting schools on his offer sheet includes Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, the Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Penn State Nittany Lions, Stanford Cardinal, Tennessee, TCU, Texas Tech, and USC Trojans.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions currently give about a 50/50 split between Texas and Texas A&M to land the commitment of Johnson. The Rivals FutureCast does have 75 percent of their analysts and publishers picking the commitment of Johnson to go to the Longhorns over the Aggies, and the rest of the competition.

Moreover, Johnson ranks as the nation’s No. 42 2021 high school prospect, No. 4 running back, and No. 7 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). The Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 31 high school prospect, No. 3 running back, and No. 4 prospect out of Texas.