Since the very beginning of the season, there was a player who was expected to lead the secondary, a unit that saw many new players coming in and needed some stability, and that player was Jah’Shawn Johnson. After four months, we can say Jah’Shawn fulfilled expectations, as he was the standout player we were all waiting for.

4. Jah’Shawn Johnson, DB (Preseason Rank: 10)

2017 performance

Jah’Shawn was solid all season long, and his stats show it, as his 60 solo tackles and 29 assisted tackles made him the second leading tackler of the team, just behind the unattainable Dakota Allen.

He reached a season-high 12 tackles, nine solo and three assisted, against Arizona State, but he also had another double-digit game against TCU, as he recorded ten tackles, eight solo and two assisted.

Being a tackling machine wasn’t the only Johnson feature, he also recorded three tackles for loss, five passes broken up, and one forced fumble. He’s an all-around player, who demonstrated he can help the team in many ways.

2018 outlook

After 2016, Texas Tech had to replace many players who had important roles on the field such as Justis Nelson, Keenon Ward, Thierry Nguema, and Paul Banks III.

Consequently, a brand new unit had to come out and perform in 2017, so many junior college transfers like Vaughnte Dorsey and Octavious Morgan had to step up and immediately produce. All that being said, it was a reasonably good season, but 2018 must be better, without excuses.

The secondary comes back intact, so with same actors having one more year of experience, and with the same defensive coordinator, we can expect some more improvements.