Commitment focus: Gilbert Johnson

The Texas Longhorns pulled off a clean sweep of the much-heralded “Florida Five” when Georgia Prep Sports Academy wide receiver Gilbert Johnson commited to Charlie Strong. Johnson joins the tight knit group from south Florida that includes Cecil Cherry, Davante Davis, Devonaire Clarington, and Tim Irvin, all of whom have pledged to play at UT. Johnson’s commitment is important as the Horns could possibly lose wide receiver John Burt to Auburn.

Johnson joins Deandre McNeal, and possibly John Burt, as wide receivers currently committed to the Longhorns. Johnson was originally a signee of the 2014 class to the University of Georgia but had some problems qualifying and enrolled at Georgia Prep Sports. Johnson chose the Longhorns over offers from Georgia, Louisville, LSU, and Tennessee. Johnson provides a struggling Longhorn offense with a big athletic pass catcher who can contribute right away.

Film Analysis:

Johnson has a big long frame at 6’5 205 pounds, with a developed upper half but some work to do on his lower body. Johnson’s speed is average, but he does show an ability to get behind defensive backs and provide a deep threat in the same way John Harris did for the Longhorns in 2014. Johnson is a long strider who covers a great deal of space with each step.

Johnson is a prototypical possession receiver who will help move the sticks and become a big target over the middle. Johnson is also a red zone weapon who has tremendous vertical skill and attacks the ball in the air. Johnson shows a great understanding of high pointing the football and his long arms and jumping ability give him a large catch radius in which to defeat defensive backs.

He also shows an above average ability to get off of the line and not allow himself to be jammed by smaller corners. Johnson’s route running skills need a lot of work as he prefers to round off his breaks which can cause defensive backs to react and break up passes. Johnson has good hands and shows some willingness to block downfield.

Final Verdict:

Johnson is an impressive physical prospect who has some raw aspects of his games that will need to be refined. There are also still some questions about academic qualifications, and those will always be a bit of a concern.

Johnson has the size and skill reminiscent of former Georgia wide receiver Marlon Brown and could profile to a similar ceiling. While the upside with his physical skills could be much higher I think the realistic expectation for him would be an all conference performer with a shot to make it in the league.