Johnson turning heads in camp

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Mack Brown said that next Monday the team will release its depth chart for the September 4 season opener against Rice at Reliant Stadium. Brown also said that, as of Monday, there were still more than 20,000 tickets available for Texas’ first road opener since 1995 when it opened at Hawaii.

With the release of the depth chart, the most pressing question on offense will finally be answered: Who will back up quarterback Garrett Gilbert?

After nearly an entire spring, summer and now fall camp of competition, both Connor Wood and Case McCoy are still dead even in the fight for back up. Whomever Brown feels is most ready will play this year, while the other will red shirt.

The Horns' last scrimmage of the preseason will be on Wednesday, where the coaches hope one of the backups will separate himself.

Wednesday will also be the first day of school for Texas, adding an extra element for the team it hasn’t had to deal with in training camp.

Junior running back Cody Johnson has been the biggest surprise of training camp – especially after coaches had given up on him as an every-down back.

“We kind of gave up and said, ‘It looks like you’re going to be a short yardage, goal line back, and that’s fine if that’s what you want to be for the rest of your career at Texas,’” Brown said. “Every year we’ve sat here and said, ‘Boy Cody’s doing great.’ [Then] in the spring he pulls a hamstring. ‘Well Cody’s doing great,’ well he’s out.

“We’ve made it further this time. We’re actually in a position where he’s done everything right in preparing to play. He’s never prepared this hard. I think right now his preparation has paid off in his conditioning and his confidence.”

Johnson's work has put him in the conversation with Tre’ Newton and Fozzy Whittaker as the Horns’ starting running back – another position question that could be answered with next Monday’s release of the depth chart.

The Red River Rivalry will kick off at 2:30 CT this year. The annual game with Oklahoma will be at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 2.