Entering Kliff Kingsbury's fourth year at the helm of the football program, all eyes will be on this year's squad and what steps they will take to regain the excitement and promise of Kingsbury's 7-0 start in 2013. We all know the players coming back and we all know this offense can be explosive, but who is coming to shore up the defense? Well, a name you should get used to hearing is Jamile Johnson.
Jamile was a highly touted defensive back recruit out of high school. As signing day approached in 2015, and Tech fans were mourning the loss of Malik Jefferson to Texas, Jamile decommitted from Texas just days before NSD and quickly committed to Texas Tech. The signing was a continued sign that Tech could bring in top tier defensive talent in addition to Breiden Fehoko that same year, and Nigel Bethel the year before.
Long story short, this is a player you're going to fall in love with. Does all the right things. Says all the right things. And is an unmistakable presence on the field. We will know more about Jamile and how he fits in David Gibb's defense when we take a look at position previews in a few months, but right now, he's listed as a LB on Tech's spring roster. More than likely he's going to be a LB-DB hybrid that gives Gibbs options depending on the down, distance and play call.
If this was easy , everybody will be doing it #GunsUp pic.twitter.com/xLkgWQXCCU
— Badger Jr. (@MilJohnson) March 29, 2025
One of Jamile's heroes in football is none other than the late-great Sean Taylor. Taylor who would at the time of his death was on the same level as Ed Reed and only getting better, if Jamile is half the player Taylor was in college, good grief is he going to be special.
Put him in the secondary. Put him at linebacker. Wherever he plays he's going to be another ball hawk in this emerging defense. Together with Jah'Shawn Johnson, Nigel Bethel, Tevin Madison, Dakota Allen, D'Vonta Hinton, Breiden Fehoko, among other, Gibbs and Kingsbury have quietly put together a really good defense that has everything in front of them if they want it.
