10. Texas Longhorns – Gary Johnson, LB
The Texas Longhorns are beginning to look like the Longhorns of old under Tom Herman. The offense will look better this season with a more experienced Sam Ehlinger, and Collin Johnson should be a force at receiver.
The running game is desperately looking for someone to emerge. While Ehlinger could be a pick for most valuable, Shane Buechele posted similar numbers to Ehlinger last season and could step in and be solid.
On defense, Texas lost its two leading tacklers in Malik Jefferson and DeShon Elliott. Someone on the defense has to step up in 2018 if Texas wants to be the real deal and contend in the Big 12 conference.
Enter senior Gary Johnson, who put up solid numbers in 2017 as a junior. He finished with 57 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks. It’s also worth noting that Johnson can play in open space and rush the passer for the Longhorns, something that isn’t seen often.
With leading tackler Jefferson in the NFL, those numbers should see a significant boost. Plus, as a senior, he becomes a leader on that defense, and a player the Longhorns cannot afford to lose if they want to take that step forward towards what they used to be.