Roschon Johnson made a list of future goals when he was in seventh grade. One of those goals was to be the quarterback at the University of Texas. That dream appeared realized when he signed with the Longhorns during the 2019 recruiting cycle. Johnson was a four-star quarterback from Port Neches-Groves, who broke school records with 7,710 passing yards. 

His path took a detour a week before the first game of his college career back in 2019. A slew of injuries to Texas running backs prompted Johnson, always a team-first player, to sacrifice his redshirt season by converting to a new position. He became the ninth true freshman in school history to rush for more than 600 yards in a season. 

“The position change was tough,” Johnson said. “After my freshman year, I made the decision to stay at running back. I knew I could contribute to the team and increase my stock to go to the next level.”

Johnson started in Week 1 of his sophomore season against UTEP. The 2019 season was defined by a position change. His sophomore season was altered by COVID-19. Johnson ran for 418 yards and scored six touchdowns during 2020. Texas went 7-3 that year, but UT brass decided to replace head coach Tom Herman with Steve Sarkisian in hopes of returning the Longhorns to national prominence. 

“It is always stunning to hear that there was going to be a change because when the head guy goes, a lot of people tend to go with him,” Johnson said. “We knew it was going to be a drastic change.” 

A coaching change didn’t shift Texas’ fortunes. The Longhorns went 5-7 in 2021, the first under Sarkisian. Johnson and star running back Bijan Robinson became a formidable duo in Texas’ backfield. Johnson admits the losses took a toll on him and the locker room. He, and his teammates, dedicated themselves to turning it around ahead of 2022.  

“The lowest part has been losing and not living up to your own expectations,” Johnson said. “Our expectation is to win. I’m trying to put our team in the best position to win the Big 12 championship.”