Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

While Port Neches-Groves Head Coach Brandon Faircloth will have his hands full with his team’s third-round playoff game Friday, he will be watching his former player start at running back in the season finale for the Texas Longhorns Saturday.

PNG grad Roschon Johnson took over the starting role after the nation’s leading rusher Bijan Robinson suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the team’s loss to Kansas.

Faircloth said he is rooting for Johnson.

“He deserves it,” he said. “There is not a better leader and no harder worker in the Texas program. I can guarantee you that. We love it. We love watching him play. We are always in his corner. We are proud of him whether he starts at Texas or not.”

Johnson committed to the University of Texas after his sophomore year at PNG, where he led the Indians to the third round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.

The PNG grad committed to Texas with the intention of one day being the starting quarterback but volunteered to change positions in his freshman year after several running backs were injured.

Over the past three years, Johnson racked up 1,457 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 271 carries.

Johnson started the Longhorns’ last game against West Virginia. While the program’s season has been a disappointment, losing five consecutive games to bring the record to 4-7, Faircloth said he hopes Johnson can infuse a winning attitude to the team.

“To see his hard work pay of and be given a chance to get the football and lead them to victory is something we are all proud of,” Faircloth said.

Despite the losing record, the Longhorns have remained upbeat, Johnson said at a recent press conference.

“Everyone is going to have to not have a sour taste in their mouths,” he said. “I feel like going forward, everyone has said what they needed to say. We have to outwork everyone and just get better.”

Johnson said he has grown a lot since he first took carries at the running back position his freshman year.

“That was a good learning experience,” he said. “…I have to take what I’ve learned from that time and build on it.”

Johnson went 31-7 during his time at PNG, where he ran for 4,846 yards and 77 touchdowns from the quarterback position.