Why Jacobe Johnson is Eager to Jump In With Oklahoma's 'Defensive-Minded' Staff

One of the state's top recruits could play any number of positions on defense, and could play offense too — and still intends to play basketball.

ORLANDO — Jacobe Johnson went through not one coaching change as a recruit, but two.

One of the state’s top two prospects was offered by both Lincoln Riley and Lon Kruger, and within a year, both stepped away.

Johnson — who didn’t formally commit to the Sooners until August — never really wavered much.

“I’ve always wanted to be at OU,” Johnson told AllSooners. “It's been a dream of mine to be there. So I just wanted to follow up with that dream.”

Johnson is working out this week as a member of Team Speed for the Under Armour Next All-America game Tuesday night. Practice every day at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex has given him a real peek into what college football will be like.

“Getting to be here with all the other 4- or 5-stars,” Johnson said, “it’s definitely a blessing to be out here and compete with the best.”

Jacobe Johnson :: John E. Hoover / AllSooners

He’s also gotten a peek into life at Oklahoma. Johnson is one of seven OU signees playing in Tuesday's all-star game alongside DE P.J. Adebawore, QB Jackson Arnold, DB Peyton Bowen, LB Lewis Carter, OT Cayden Green and WR Jaquaize Pettaway.

“It's been cool,” Johnson said. “We've been talking kind of all week, you know, we get on the field together just so we can get used to (and) kind of get a little fell for each other and how we — because that's how it's gonna be when we get to college.”

Johnson said it wasn’t a huge surprise to see the program drop off like it did, from 11-2 last year to 6-6 this year.

“I had expected it to be tough,” he said. “Because coach Lincoln (Riley) kind of screwed us a little bit, taking everybody and leaving coach (Brent) Venables with some newer players. So it was tough. I expected it to be tough. You can't just expect them to have like, a like a great, great season with what just happened with what had happened.”

Seeing his future team struggle, Johnson said, lights a fire under him to come in and contribute and make things better — by winning games.

“It makes me want to come in and change something, like you said,” he said. “I just feel like — I believe everything that coach Venables is doing. I think everything that OU’s doing is going in the right way. So I think coach Venables, he's getting his guys next year anyways, so should be a difference next year.

“I feel like it's good to have a defensive-minded head coach, because I play defense. So I should be good.”

Johnson said the plan is still to play safety, but he’s been working out at cornerback in Orlando and said corners coach Jay Valai asked him to be ready to make a switch if needed. He was also told to pick a jersey number that would allow him to play offense.

And of course, he’s still planning to play basketball when he arrives on campus next summer.

“I got the option to play both sports,” Johnson said. “It's just gonna be like, how difficult is going to be. Because obviously, I'm going to lock in on football when I get there. Because that's the main priority, I'll say. But I love basketball. And I'm gonna play it as long as I can.”