SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson has long said it was his plan to declare for the NFL draft after his junior season, and on Friday evening, he announced his declaration via Twitter.
“These past three years have been some of the best of my life,” Johnson wrote in a post on a graphic that has multiple photos of him in game action. “This place I call home gave me more than I could have ever imagined, and I am eternally grateful.”
Johnson also thanked people at the university, expressed gratitude for his teammates, whom he called his “brothers” and said that his family is his “why.”
A native of Fresno, Calif., the 6-foot, 195-pound Johnson joined the Utes as a highly touted prospect who was seriously considering the likes of USC and Oklahoma during the recruiting process. He made his presence known immediately, as he tied for the team lead in pass breakups his freshman season in 2017.
He received All-Pac-12 first team honors his sophomore campaign in 2018 after snagging four interceptions, and then had 10 pass breakups during the 2019 regular season even as opposing offenses tried to avoid throwing his direction.
Johnson is listed at No. 82 on ESPN’s list of the top NFL draft prospects for 2020, which would make him a third-round pick.
He did not say whether or not he plans to play in the Dec. 31 Alamo Bowl against the Texas Longhorns.