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Peter ThamelESPN
AUSTIN — TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston threatens as a game decider for the No. 4 Horned Frogs at No. 18 Texas on Saturday night, sources told ESPN.
Johnston injured his ankle during TCU’s first possession at Texas Tech last week. He has been limited in training this week, sources say, as he did not participate in any of the TCU drills until Thursday.
The expectation around the program remains that Johnston will warm up and play, but his status appears to be based on how he feels on Saturday night. TCU (9-0) is a seven-point underdog against the Longhorns (6-3).
Johnston has become one of the most explosive and dynamic wide receivers in the country, having caught touchdown passes in four straight games before his early elimination against Texas Tech. He’s shot up to 20th on ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper’s big board, and he could end up moving up since he’s Kiper’s fourth-ranked wide receiver.
Johnston has raised draft boards in part because at 6ft 4 and 215 pounds he fits the archetype of an NFL receiver and still has top speed at that height. During the season, Johnston has 42 catches for 650 yards.
Johnston had one of the most impressive back-to-back performances of the season in October when he set Kansas on fire with 14 catches for 206 yards and snapped eight balls for 180 yards against Oklahoma State the following week.
He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2021 after rushing for 634 yards as a sophomore. Johnston is a former verbal commitment to Texas, but made a late move to TCU in December 2019 after a series of changes in the Texas coaching staff.