The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2016 — No. 49: TCU's Denzel Johnson

[caption id="attachment_22980" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Photo by Ashley Wirz Photo by Ashley Wirz[/caption] The importance of a player is not always defined by their skill. The most important player on a team is not always the best player on a team. This list is designed to breakdown the 50 most important players in Texas college football for the 2016 season. It is not a ranking of the 50 best college football players in the state. Importance can be defined by position, need, skill or leadership. We’ll count down the list through the summer, all the way to No. 1.Previously — 50: Baylor S Chance WazNo. 49: TCU safety Denzel JohnsonThe History Johnson’s recruiting profile wasn’t high coming out of Gainesville High School. He was an all-district quarterback without a sure-fire college position. A late offer from TCU sealed his commitment and he enters his senior season firmly entrenched as the starting strong safety for Gary Patterson’s defense. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety started all 13 games for TCU in 2015, finishing fourth on the team with 79 tackles in the regular season. He also led the team, from the safety position, in tackles for loss with 13.5. He had eight pass breakups and returned his lone interception 50 yards for a touchdown against Stephen F. Austin. Johnson played as a true freshman, but mostly on special teams. The same was true as a sophomore. He ended the season with a mere 16 tackles and a season-high of just three. He waited his turn and learned his craft after a high school career where he was known for his quarterback skills, despite playing free safety. The Skillset Athleticism was never a question for Johnson. He earned District 9-3A Most Valuable Player in his senior season after passing and rushing for more than 1,000 yards. His lack of offers kept his recruiting profile low. Rivals.com rated Johnson a two-star athlete coming out of high school, mostly because his future position was in question. Would he play wide receiver? Could he grow into a tight end? Was he big enough to play linebacker? Could he cover in space well enough to play safety? Patterson saw an athlete and did what Patterson does best: maximized the talent. Johnson found a home at safety in TCU’s 4-2-5. He might not be as effective in a traditional defense, but his skills fit nicely into the role he’s asked to play for the Horned Frogs. The Impact TCU built a reputation under Patterson as a defensive team. The offense stepped up over the past few years, taking pressure off the defense. That may change in 2016 with TCU undergoing a change at quarterback and losing a first-round NFL talent at wide receiver. The Big 12 is known as a passing league, but title contenders like Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas return a strong running game. Hybrid safeties who can play downhill against the run and still cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield dictate the difference between allowing a touchdown or a field goal. An all-conference season from Johnson puts TCU in line for a conference championship.

——