Roschon Johnson declares for the NFL draft
Texas running back Roschon Johnson will head to the NFL and elect not to use his extra year of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he announced Friday. Johnson, a senior from Port Neches (Texas) Port Neches-Groves, will not play in the Longhorns’ upcoming bowl game.
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Originally recruited to Texas as a quarterback, Johnson made the switch to running back after the Longhorns became alarmingly thin at the position in the early portions of the 2019 season. He stayed there throughout the rest of his Longhorn career, often splitting carries with other running backs.
His unselfishness and demeanor earned the trust and respect of his teammates and his coaches. Entering the 2022 season, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian described Johnson as an “alpha.” He was often a pre-game captain and the person the Longhorns looked to for leadership in both the good times and the bad.
Despite mostly occupying a back-up role, Johnson is No. 18 on UT’s all-time rushing leaderboard with 2190 yards. He also scored 23 touchdowns on the ground and added three more receiving touchdowns in his four year career. He rushed for 649 yards his freshman year, 418 yards his sophomore year, 569 yards his junior year, and 554 yards this past season in 2022.
He capped his Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium career with a 13-carry, 77-yard, two-touchdown performance in Texas’ 38-27 win over the Baylor Bears on November 25. His final score was an 11-yard scamper out of the Wildcat that saw him leap over a Bear defender before finishing his run in the end zone.
Johnson originally committed to Texas in July of 2017. During a camp put on by previous head coach Tom Herman, Johnson won a fastest man competition before grabbing a microphone that told all those in attendance at DKR that he was committed to the Longhorns.
Johnson’s listed major is business with a focus in management. He was rated as the No. 266 overall prospect, the No. 20 running back, and the No. 36 prospect in Texas according to the On3 Consensus.
