A trip to Norman, Oklahoma, sealed the deal for three-star cornerback Derrick Johnson, who hails from Murrieta, California.
California and Oklahoma couldn’t be any more different as states, but Johnson must have liked what Brent Venables and the Sooners offered him.
The three-star committed to the Sooners on Tuesday, just days after taking his official visit to Oklahoma.
Washington, UCLA and TCU were also in the running for Johnson’s commitment, so this is a nice win for Venables and the Sooners.
What does Johnson bring to the table?
First of all, it’s length. He checks in at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, which is great size for a high school corner. If he fills out a little bit by the time he’s a Sooner, he’ll be quite a formidable presence for Oklahoma’s defense.
Johnson also has speed and athleticism. He’s also a track and field star who ran personal-best times of 11.12 in the 100 meter, 22.40 in the 200 meter and 51.82 in the 400 meter in 2025. He’s a two-way player in high school at wideout and corner, but he projects best at cornerback at the college level.
It’s worth noting that he also has an NFL pedigree as a cornerback. His father, Derrick Johnson Sr., was a star cornerback for the Washington Huskies and was then selected in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent four years in the league, largely as a practice squad player.
Johnson is a very intriguing cornerback prospect for all those reasons. According to the 247Sports Composite, he’s ranked as the No. 50 cornerback in the 2025 class.
