30 college football players with the biggest shoes to fill in 2018

Shoes to Fill: Malik Jefferson

Malik Jefferson signed with the Texas Longhorns as a five-star prospect, ranked No. 10 overall in the 247Sports Composite. Jefferson, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound Mesquite native, was labeled the No. 1 player from the state of Texas, and the No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in the nation.

Such lofty standing comes with huge expectations, and Jefferson largely fulfilled them. In three seasons in Austin, Jefferson accounted for 231 total tackles, including 110 as a junior in 2017, which ranked third in the Big 12. He also recorded 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks across his three seasons, as well as two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown as a true freshman.

Jefferson was a fixture in the Longhorns linebacker corps for three years, and with him opting to leave school early for the NFL Draft, his presence will be missed. However, Gary Johnson is poised to pick up where Jefferson left off. Like Jefferson, Johnson came to Texas as the No. 1 player in his home state, the No. 1 linebacker prospect in the country, and a Top 10 overall prospect – though Johnson was a junior college transfer from Dodge City Community College, in 2017.

Despite being listed as the backup to Anthony Wheeler early in the season and also suffering an ankle injury in fall camp, Johnson saw the field often as a junior in 2017, including several starts. He made 57 total tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks in 10 games. Listed as the backup to Jefferson at the Rover linebacker position on the depth chart ahead of the Texas Bowl, Johnson should slide right into the starting role this spring.