Former Texas RB Roschon Johnson to miss Senior Bowl with broken hand

Feb 2, 2023 - 12:09 AM

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The scenario that former Texas Longhorns running back Roschon Johnson hoped to avoid by opting out of the Alamo Bowl happened on Tuesday during the first practice for the Senior Bowl — an injury impacting Johnson’s pre-draft process.

According to multiple reports, Johnson suffered a broken hand in practice, and while he played through it on Tuesday, he won’t participate in any further practices or in Saturday’s game, choosing instead to attend team meetings and meetings with personnel from NFL teams.

The injury will not require surgery.

After converting from quarterback in 2019 and serving as a backup running back on the Forty Acres, including spending the last two years behind potential first-round draft pick Bijan Robinson, the Senior Bowl represented an important opportunity for Johnson to showcase his ability. And despite the broken hand, Johnson quickly made an impression on observers.

Even with the setback, Johnson is likely to receive an invitation to the NFL Combine and, in a worst-case scenario, would still have an opportunity to impress scouts at the Texas Pro Timing Day.

A potential second-day pick, Johnson’s stock will receive a boost from his intangible skills like leadership in addition to a refined skill set that includes speed, power, and lateral agility as a running back, strong ability in pass protection, proven hands out of the backfield, and contributions on special teams.

Johnson ran for 2,190 yards with 23 rushing touchdowns at Texas over four seasons.