Texas Makes Surprise Position Change With Jordon Johnson-Rubell

The loss of linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith was a major one for the Texas Longhorns.

Regardless of the situation, Smith was expected to play a major role in the upcoming season along with Rasheem Biles, Justin Cryer, Brad Spence, and the trio of talented young freshmen headlined by Tyler Atkinson.

As a result of his exit, the depth at the position has taken a major hit, leading to serious questions about what direction the room will take.

And now, it appears that the Longhorns have made a move to address that cocern.

According to reports from Eric Nahlin of Inside Texas, the Longhorns have moved Jordon Johnson-Rubell from safety to linebacker, adding depth, athleticism and a little bit of experience to the position.

What Johnson-Rubell brings to the linebacker room

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jordon Johnson-Rubell and linebacker Colin Simmons tackle Louisiana Monroe Warhawks tight end Nate Sullivan Jr. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

On paper, moving a defensive back to linebacker might seem like a strange move - at least depending on the player.

But with Johnson-Rubell's size, mentality and experience, the move actually makes more than enough sense.

Starting with the obvious, Johnson-Rubell has been involved with the Texas linebacker room before. He was moved there for the Citrus Bowl last season, and practiced under Will Muschamp, who had already taken the job.

In total he has seen action in 25 games, including 12 as a true freshman. He has also been a special teams ace.

So the reps are there.

In terms of size, Johnson-Rubell isn't all that dissimilar to Smith. He stands at 5'10", 212 pounds per the official Longhorns roster, while Smith stood 6'1" and weighed in at 216 pounds.

As a now former safety, he also has plenty of athleticism to play WILL linebacker effectively.

In fact, he was expected to play a key depth role in the secondary before the move. That is a spot that requires elite athletic ability - and it is a spot now seemingly reserved for a certain athletic marvel in Jonah Williams.

He is also a very effective open-field tackler and has always thrived in run-support roles; he moves downhill well, takes good angles and has enough speed to make it all work together, making that transition that much easier.

But most importantly, Johnson-Rubell has the attitude of a linebacker, and plays with a brand of toughness that is required for the position - especially in a Will Muschamp defense.

All of this isn't to say that he will be a better player than Smith, or that he will be a star player on the defense.

Rather that he should be able to provide some valuable and reliable depth to an otherwise thing position, while allowing the Longhorns a little more breathing room before putting young freshmen like Kosi Okpala and Rocky Cummings on the field too early.

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