Longhorns Showed Under Armour MVP Trevell Johnson 'Love From the Start'

Arlington Martin linebacker Trevell Johnson committed to the Longhorns just days after the hiring of Steve Sarkisian. Why? because "They’ve been there from the start."

As one of the top recruits in the state of Texas, Arlington Martin linebacker Trevell Johnson's commitment was a major win for the Texas Longhorns and new head coach Steven Sarkisian -- a commitment that came because Sarkisian's staff were on him from the second they took control of the program. 

“I love (Texas)," Johnson told Longhorns Country in an exclusive interview. "They’ve been there from the start. Even when they got in, I know they’re a new staff and everything, but even when they got in, they showed love from the start so I can’t ask for anything else." 

Johnson has enjoyed great success from the beginning of his playing career, thanks not just to his obvious talents on defense, but also because of his fiercely competitive nature.

READ MORE: Longhorns In The Mix For The Next Manning QB?

On Sunday, the Under Armour Dallas camp, which took place on Johnson's home field of Martin High School, brought that competitiveness out of him once again, helping him to a dominant showing, and earning him the camp's linebacker MVP award. 

"I like this camp," Johnson said. "You know this camp you come out and show your talents against the best people in the state, you’ve got some people from Louisiana and everything so, I just love competing. That's all I love to do. I love the game of football. So me getting this invite, was crazy, and me getting MVP was crazy, but you know it's what I’ve been working for so it's not a surprise. It’s all about work."

Ever humble, however, Johnson wasn't surprised at his performance against the state's best prospects, citing his camp coaches, rather than just himself, as the major reason for his success. 

"I knew I was going to come in be successful," Johnson said. "These coaches here, they give you everything you need to be a successful athlete on the field and off the field, so I think they prepared me well for this event, and for these upcoming events."

Johnson's commitment to the Longhorns is a firm one, and he plans on taking a visit once the dead period ends, and visits are allowed to proceed as normal.  

READ MORE: Longhorns EXCLUSIVE: Texas Top Choice For Elite OT Devon Campbell?

"If they open everything up, I’ll still make official visits," Johnson said. "I do plan on going down for their spring game. That’s not official though, that’s going to be an unofficial (visit). 

With that said, Johnson does still have interests in visiting other campuses when the situation allows it. Oregon and LSU were both mentioned by the 2022 star as possible destinations for those visits. 

"I do want to take some officials to Oregon and LSU," Johnson added. "That’s three of them, and I’ve got to find more, but other than that yea, those are the schools I want to visit." 

However, if Johnson's feelings about the Longhorns coaching staff are any indication, it's going to be very difficult for the Ducks or the Tigers to change his mind. 

“(Texas) is great," Johnson said. "You know I love the coaches. Me, coach Sark, coach Banks, and coach Choate... we all have great relationships."

CONTINUE READING: Recruiting Tracker: Longhorns Make Top-3 For DFW Area DB


Are you excited to see Johnson on the 40 Acres? Comment and join in on the discussion below!

Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook.


Published
Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.