Texas Football: 5 biggest recruiting busts of the Tom Herman era

Texas football is now in the midst of recruiting season as we’re drawing close to a critical month on the trail for official visits in June. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian will have to put their best foot forward on the recruiting trail during official visits next month to maximize the potential in the 2024 class.

And while official visit season is a huge part of building successful recruiting classes year in and year out, that’s just one part of the bigger picture when it comes to building a winning program on and off the field. Recruiting is just the start of the process of cultivating a winning program and a positive culture on the 40.

Player development is also obviously a critical component of being able to build a winner on the field. The subject of player development is one that past Texas head coaches often missed the mark.

The most recent example of a former Texas head coach that ultimately wasn’t able to develop top-10 ranked recruiting classes year after year into a consistent winner on the field was Tom Herman.

Each full recruiting cycle that Herman was at the helm as Texas’ head coach (2018-2020), the Longhorns signed top-10 ranked classes in the nation. That included two top-three-ranked recruiting classes in the nation in back-to-back cycles in 2018 and 2019 (per 247Sports Team Composite Rankings).

It’s also worth noting that Texas ranked in the top 10 in the 247Sports College Football Team Talent Rankings each year from 2018-2020. Yet, Texas wasn’t able to win a single conference title or make it to the College Football Playoff once during Herman’s time as the head coach (2017-2020).

Biggest recruiting busts under Tom Herman for Texas football

The lack of player development at the time played a crucial role in Texas not being able to maximize all the talent brought in on the recruiting trail. With that in mind, here’s a look at five of the biggest recruiting busts during the Herman era for the Longhorns.

Tyler Johnson, OT

Recruiting Class: 2019 (No. 58 in 247Sports Composite)

The highest-rated offensive tackle recruit that Herman, offensive line coach Herb Hand, and the Longhorns landed was the high-four-star prospect out of Conroe (TX) Oak Ridge High School Tyler Johnson. The 6-foot-5 and 310-pound offensive tackle was one of the most menacing and skilled offensive line recruits in the 2019 class.

Johnson showed excellent hands, finishing, and pulling ability as a blue-chipper at Oak Ridge. He was even projected by Gabe Brooks of 247Sports in his evaluation as being a future first-round NFL Draft pick.

"One of the top overall prospects regardless of position in Texas for the 2019 class. Possesses great size with enough additional frame space to add a little more bulk. Terrorizes defenders at the second level and when pulling in lead-blocking situations. Hunts linebackers and defensive backs."

Upon his arrival on the Forty Acres in January 2019, Johnson was an intriguing true freshman early enrollee that was looking to make his case for early playing time for the upcoming season.

But Johnson never really got his footing in the three years he spent on the 40. He was involved in various position battles at both offensive tackle spots, along with guard at times, in 2019 and 2020. The problem was that he never showed enough growth and consistency in practice to prove to Hand and the Longhorns that he was ready to compete in live-game action.

The only live-game reps that Johnson saw during his three seasons at Texas came during the 2020 campaign. He took a little more than 60 offensive snaps at right guard over the course of two games late in the 2020 season (regular season finale and the bowl game).

Johnson spent two seasons playing for Herman at Texas, and one under Sark and Kyle Flood. Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Johnson transferred to the Houston Cougars, where he became a full-time starter along the offensive line for the first time in his collegiate career.

He finally started to realize some of that talent he put on display coming out of high school last season at Houston, as Johnson was the second-highest graded guard in the AAC in pass blocking. Johnson also allowed the fewest quarterback pressures of any starting guard in the AAC last season.

Johnson heads into the 2023 season as the starting right guard for the Cougars in his fifth year in college. He will get to face his former team when Houston meets Texas as Big 12 foes for the first time on Oct. 21.