Cliff-notes: Texas picked up its 21st commitment for the 2019 recruiting class on Monday evening, as Fullerton (CA) Community College linebacker Caleb Johnson committed to the Longhorns.
Rankings: The 6-1, 220-pound Johnson is currently rated by Rivals as a mid three-star prospect, the nation's seventh-best JUCO linebacker and the No.38 overall JUCO prospect.
Key Offers: Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado and Iowa State were all schools that Johnson had taken official visits to, while the likes of Baylor, Florida Atlantic, Nebraska, San Diego State and Utah also offered.
Evaluation: Johnson can flat out scoot from the linebacker position. Wherever the ball might be, he has the kind of speed, acceleration and mobility to get to the football and when he gets there, he arrives with bad intentions. At his size, he's probably not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but in a conference like the Big 12, he's going to fit in very well in a world where traditional linebacker play can get left in the spread offensive dust. As was the case with former JUCO prospect Gary Johnson, it might take a little bit of time for Johnson to acclimate himself to the higher level of play, but he's a guy that can make plays off the edge and he's has showed the ability to succeed when dropping back into coverage. If there's a question mark about his game at this point, it probably deals with his ability to shed blockers and make plays inside the box. When he gets a free run, he's a difference-maker, but how he handles offensive lineman in and around his feet and body will likely determine how much he plays right away at the next level. His level of physicality isn't a question mark at all, but he won't likely be able to line up as deep off the ball at the line of scrimmage at the next level, which means he's going to to have to adapt to not being able to get a running start at everything he wants to put a helmet on.
Former UT player he reminds me of: Peter Jenkins
Why it matters: With the departure of Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler to graduation, Texas will need to retool it's linebacker play in 2019 and outside of Jeffery McCulloch, there aren't a lot of sure things on the roster, with all due respect to the young and talented players that exist in the Texas program. Adding Johnson to the stable gives this recruiting class four linebackers to add to the mix, with Johnson ranking as perhaps the second-most likely player in the class at his position to make an immediate impact. However, with him having taken a medical redshirt this season, he still has four years to play three, which means he won't have to be rushed on the field with the eligibility clock creating immediate anxiety.
