Trevell Johnson commits to Texas

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Texas landed an Arlington Martin linebacker in the 2021 class in Morice Blackwell and decided it wanted an Arlington Martin linebacker in the 2022 class.

I’m blessed to be in the position I’m in right now and I’m thankful to my family, teammates, coaches and peers for sticking by my side and seeing me grow into the man I am today – 110% COMMITTED ‼️ pic.twitter.com/jOGcA0ou22

— Trevell Johnson (@2trevell1) February 13, 2021

Trevell Johnson committed to Texas over 15 other offers including Baylor, Texas Tech, Arkansas, LSU, and Oklahoma State. He was the No. 27 overall player and No. 2 linebacker in the 2022 Inside Texas Top 75.

Johnson recorded 99 tackles in 2019, including 12 for loss. In 2020, Johnson tallied 109 tackles, including 14 for loss and 4.0 sacks. He also forced three fumbles and broke up three passes.

How Johnson fits at Texas

Trevell Johnson is the rare example of a safety-sized high schooler with P5-level athletic talent who’s actually getting reps playing inside linebacker. Normally teams would use a 6-2, 200 pounder with this level of speed and range at safety or outside linebacker, erasing space or attacking the edge, but Martin uses Johnson much like Pete Kwiatkowski was using rangy backers in his middle linebacker position at Washington.

This is all a big plus for Johnson, who will come into college needing to make weight and strength gains like most anyone else but much further ahead than most with regards to reading flow and fitting runs and passes from the linebacker position. He’s ideal for the middle linebacker position because he has the quickness and range to handle himself in space but is very physical closing in the box, taking on blockers, and making snap decisions in the trenches. – Ian Boyd

Coach Says: Strengths – Very instinctive player who also has great discipline with his keys. Football awareness is excellent. Exceptional in run fits and a short-area terror. Quick and sure first steps. Excellent acceleration and very difficult to control off the edge. Frequently past the blocker in a flash. A good marriage of a smart player with just the right amount of bad intention. Arrives at the ball with authority and delivers a great strike. Good form and will wrap consistently. Heads up on possession change and will be a plus-contributor on special teams. Undersize could work to his advantage as he’ll mold into whatever the Texas coaches want.

Areas for Improvement / Concern – Needs some size which is a given. Not sure about his top end speed. Stiff-hipped and loses speed on change of direction. Opponent film shows him a bit tentative in zone drops.

How this affects Texas: It’s clear what this staff wants from its linebackers: versatility and speed. Johnson is big in that regard. He adds an insane work ethic with a focused personality. UT looked good here before Steve Sarkisian was hired, and now after overtures from LSU and others, it appears the Horns are the lead dog. He’d join teammate and 2021 signee Morice Blackwell, and only help in the pursuit of 2023 stud Javien Toviano. The state produced better backers over the last cycle, and Johnson is near the top of those lists. Take him and let’s open the valve on this Arlington Martin-to-Texas pipeline. – Justin Wells

Excerpt from the Inside Texas 2022 Top 75

Decent size, but makes up for lack of ideal measurables with long arms and foot quickness. This is another physical defender for Bob Wager at Martin. Physicality, motor, intelligence and long arms is a really good combination for a linebacker. – Gerry Hamilton

I think he’s a more athletic Terrell Bernard who is perfectly suited to defending the modern game. He’ll gladly stick his nose in between the tackles but plays with speed and pursuit to the sidelines as well. – Eric Nahlin

Johnson is the fifth commit of Texas’ 2022 class joining Maalik Murphy (Junipero Serra – CA), Jaydon Blue (Klein Cain), Armani Winfield (Lewisville), and Jaylon Guilbeau (Port Arthur Memorial).