SAN ANTONIO -- Four-star wide receiver Thomas Johnson's commitment to the Texas Longhorns has long been rumored to be on the verge of falling apart.
That finally became the case on Friday when the nation's No. 4 receiver called Texas' coaches to relay the news that he was decommitting, according to a source within the Dallas Skyline program.
"I talked to him via text message and that's what he told me," the source said. "Genuinely I think he just wants to see some other universities."
His decommitment comes one day after he played in the Under Armour All-American Game with nine other Longhorns commitments.
Now that he is back on the market, the first time since Feb. 22, Johnson is likely to take official visits to Cal, Oregon and TCU.
"Wherever he goes they are definitely getting a dynamic impact player," the source said. "Thomas is a kid that could line up and play safety or corner too. He is the type of kid you see in a program once every 10 years."
Johnson (6-foot-0, 180) was part of a 2012 receivers class for Texas that was as good as any in the country. He would have joined fellow Under Armour All-American Cayleb Jones (Austin, Texas/Stephen F. Austin), the No. 3 receiver, U.S. Army All-American Kendall Sanders (Athens, Texas) and Marcus Johnson (League City, Texas/Clear Springs) in Austin next season.
His high school teammate Peter Jinkens, the No. 55 overall player in the ESPNU 150, is also a Texas recruit.
"It's his choice, and if [Texas] didn't fit him, that's all right," Jinkens told HornsNation. "It's really all about where he thinks he fits. He's still my brother, ain't nothing changed. I understood why he decommitted, because he needs somewhere that will fit him."
Jinkens said Johnson "never really went into any details" about his reasons for decommitting during their time together at the Under Armour Game this week. Jinkins did admit he's disappointed by the fact he won't get to play with his friend and longtime teammate at Texas, but Johnson's decision won't affect Jinkens' commitment.
"We've played in high school together for so long," Jinkens said. "But, you know, it had to come to an end eventually."
Johnson had another tremendous season for the Raiders, hauling in 59 passes for 1,077 yards (18.3 average) and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed 16 times for 226 yards and four scores.
This defection could open the door for Texas to up its stock with the nation's top receiver, Dorial Green-Beckham. The Longhorns are in his top five along with Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. But Texas is the only official visit that he has taken so far.
William Wilkerson covers University of Texas football and recruiting for HornsNation.
Max Olson contributed reporting for this story.
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