3 forgotten Texas players bound to step up in spring camp

Jamier Johnson, CB

Some of the names on this list weren’t signed all that long ago by the Longhorns. And all of the Longhorns players mentioned here that could step up in a newfound spotlight in spring camp are still technically underclassmen and former blue-chip recruits.

One of the former defensive blue-chip recruits for the Longhorns that made this list could be a crucial part of the secondary in 2022. Depending on how much Pete Kwiatkowski and cornerbacks coach Terry Joseph trust the former four-star recruit and sophomore corner Jamier Johnson this fall, he could be one of the rising defensive backs that is a two or three-year starter.

But Johnson still has a lot to prove to climb up the depth chart in this defensive backfield before he can even think about claiming a starting role.

The 6-foot and 170-pound Johnson still has work to do to prove he can handle one-on-one coverage assignments without getting beat on a consistent basis. He also has to show that he can reliably tackle in the open field and make some plays in pass coverage.

Those aspects aren’t easy to evaluate in spring ball, but the coaching staff can at least get a start in the weeks ahead in terms of seeing the progress of Johnson compared to last offseason.

Something that should help Johnson in his quest to climb up the depth chart at cornerback this year is the fact that the fellow former blue-chip recruit and junior DB Kitan Crawford is moving to safety this offseason. That at least eliminates one contender from the competition for Johnson to get a key spot on the two-deep at the cornerback position in camp.

With Crawford out of the picture now at the cornerback position, watch out for Johnson to try and prove that he deserves to be the third corner up for the Longhorns in 2022. He’s likely to start out spring ball behind the likes of senior corner D’Shawn Jamison and junior Jahdae Barron. Johnson is also likely to get competition from incoming freshmen such as Jaylon Guilbeau and Terrance Brooks.

Nonetheless, this will be one of the most important offseasons of Johnson’s collegiate career given the opportunity he has ahead of him in spring ball.