Gilbert Johnson knew all along

Wide receiver Gilbert Johnson is the Texas Longhorns' newest commitment, giving the UT staff a pledge on Sunday afternoon.

While Johnson's decision is still fresh in the mind of UT fans, the talented pass-catcher has actually known where he wanted to go for about three months.

Johnson first told Orangebloods.com of his contact with Texas back in October of last year, and he said he knew at that time that he'd likely wind up committing to the Longhorns.

"I knew the same day coach (Charlie) Strong called me when I was at prep school. The same day when they got back in there, I was Texas 100 percent," Johnson said.

Strong had originally recruited Johnson when Strong was at Louisville. At that time, Johnson was a 2014 prospect out of Homestead, Fl. Johnson eventually committed to Georgia but after failing to qualify academically, Johnson landed at Georgia Prep Sports Academy in Atlanta for the 2014-15 school year, and Texas continued its recruitment of Johnson this fall.

Those efforts paid off with Johnson becoming a Texas commitment on Sunday afternoon.

"It's the coaching staff. Coach Strong, in my eyes, is one of best coaches in college football right now," Johnson said. "Knowing some of the players at Louisville he coached, he always has his players' back no matter what. And Austin, I've been hearing a lot about Austin. It's a great place to be."

Johnson took an official visit to Texas on the weekend of November 7. He was joined on that trip by fellow Floridians Cecil Cherry, Devonaire Clarington, DaVante Davis and Tim Irvin. All five players have now committed to Texas.

"We toured the campus, saw the beautiful, big buildings and everything," Johnson said of the visit. "The fans at the game, they're real football fans, 100 percent. They're Texas fans all the way."

During that weekend visit, the five prospects talked about the possibility of playing together at Texas. While no decisions were finalized that weekend, the group had a good idea it might wind up committing to Texas at some point.

"It was pretty much planned. We sat and talked about it the night of the game," Johnson said. "We were all pretty sure that we wanted to come into Texas, bring Florida to them help the program."

The Texas coaches have told Johnson he'll be used as a big target in the passing game on the outside, and there's a chance he could come in and play right away. Johnson says he's ready for whatever comes his way. He's now healthy after suffering through a bruised meniscus, and is ready to join the Texas program in June.

"I was struggling with a knee injury early in the prep school year. Everything is okay now," Johnson said. "I went to rehab and everything is good now.

"Words can't really describe how I feel. I'm just ready to go in, be a big target and make a difference. We're all just trying to get in there and change things around."

The 6-4, 189-pound Johnson is a three-star prospect. He's ranked as the nation's No. 7 prep school prospect.