Imposing 4-star OT Tyler Johnson signs with Texas

At one of the most important positions on the field, the Texas Longhorns officially landed a big-time talent on Wednesday as offensive tackle Tyler Johnson signed and submitted his letter of intent.

The 6’5, 324-pound lineman from Conroe Oak Ridge committed to the Longhorns in May, just three weeks after taking his official visit. At the time of his commitment, he held offers from 22 other schools, including the Oklahoma Sooners, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs.

When he committed, he cited the comfort he felt while on campus, as well as the ability to not just further his athletic career, but his academic career as well.

Johnson is the highest-ranked member of the Longhorns’ 2019 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings, coming in at No. 37 nationally and No. 5 at his position. Furthermore, he’s one of only four Longhorns signees ranked within the top 100 nationally. Johnson saw his stock rise significantly between his junior and senior campaigns, rising 124 spots in the rankings in the last two seasons.

On the field, Johnson looks like a well-rounded tackle that moves better than his stature would indicate.

Oak Ridge is a run-heavy offense, which features pulling tackles frequently. Johnson was asked to pull across the formation, as well as execute combo blocks, which he did with relative ease. His ability to move across the field, as well as block at the second level becomes even more impressive considering he added 16 pounds between his junior and senior seasons.

As a blocker, Johnson uses his size well and puts himself between defenders and the ballcarrier to create a clean lane, as well as sealing off the edge for outside runs.

Perhaps most important for a running game, he prides himself on putting defenders on their backs. If he’s able to do that while staying upright, he can be a dangerous tool in Herb Hand’s blocking scheme.

The War Eagles’ offense does not feature the pass heavily, averaging just 16.8 pass attempts per game in 2018 with more than two-to-one run-pass ratio. His skills as a frequent pass blocker are not evident on film, but when called for pass protection, he shows great patience and chips in as a help blocker when not engaged.

One thing that does pop on film are his abilities as a blocker on screen passes. When called upon, he convincingly sells the play, manages to stay in front of the ball carrier and takes advantage of his size against smaller defenders on the outside of the defense.

Barring injuries along the line, Johnson should enjoy the luxury of a redshirt season, allowing him a season to add to his already impressive frame. He joins an offensive line room that will presumably have a returning starter at right tackle in Samuel Cosmi, as well as Denzel Okafor coming off of a redshirt season as Texas looks to replace starting left tackle Calvin Anderson.

Though it may not be next season, Johnson certainly looks the part of a multi-year starter in Austin.