The TCU defense will be adding another linebacker to it's corps in the fall. Northern Illinois linebacker Jawuan Johnson will be heading to Fort Worth for one year as a graduate transfer. Johnson will graduate with a degree in communications from Northern Illinois in May.

TCU edged out Baylor and SMU for the third-team MAC selection from a year ago. Johnson was frustrated with the MAC conference after he posted 98 tackles (18 tackles for loss), four sacks and five interceptions in 2017. Johnson was looking to move closer to home and his former New Boston high school teammate Jeff Gladney made the decision easier for him joining TCU.

Johnson will look to give TCU another speedy linebacker with the school's all-time tackler, Travin Howard graduating in May. Johnson has a similar build to Howard as well. Also recruited as a safety out of high school, Johnson moved to linebacker during his redshirt freshman season in 2014. He bulked up from a 180 safety to a 220 pound linebacker in three years.

Johnson will have to learn quickly though, only having a few weeks in the fall to learn a new defensive system at TCU. Johnson will have to move from a 4-3 defense to the 4-2-5 defense that Gary Patterson employs.

Johnson definitely displays a nose for the football and will add depth the the TCU linebacking core but will have a lot of work to due to surpass Arico Evans, Garrett Wallow and Alec Dunham, each who have played in the 4-2-5 defense at TCU.