"I read out my goals to myself": Texas standout Johdae Barron reveals powerful pregame traits from his college days

Texas Longhorns cornerback Johdae Barron showcased his intense pregame routine during the NFL combine in Indianapolis. After completing the sprint drill and consulting with his manager, Barron chose to sit out for the rest of the day.

Speaking with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, Barron shared a unique habit that keeps him focused.

“Every single day before the season,” Barron said on Friday. “While I was training, I read out my goals to myself and I looked myself in the mirror. So, when I do complete those goals, I can look back in the mirror and say, ‘I did it.’”

Dales asked for more details on how visualization impacts his mindset. Barron credited his mother for instilling the habit.

"You have to do it; my mom tells me to do it so I can be committed to something, so I can hold myself to a standard," Barron said. "You have to be exact with your goals, you can't be off. You can't be a word off, you can't be anything off.”

Barron made a statement at the combine. He clocked a blistering 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, leaped 35 inches in the vertical jump, and recorded a 10.25-foot broad jump.

According to reports, the NFL Network awarded him a 94 production score and an 82 athleticism score, giving him an overall 90—the second-highest mark among cornerbacks at the event.

Johdae Barron projected as first-round pick

The NFL draft is scheduled for April 24 to 26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Johdae Barron as the third-best cornerback and a projected first-round pick.

Other ESPN analysts have varying opinions: Jordan Reid ranks him No. 4 among cornerbacks, Field Yates places him outside the top five and Matt Miller lists him as the No. 2 cornerback. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus ranks Barron as the No. 8 overall prospect and the No. 2 cornerback.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff made Barron a full-time starter by his redshirt sophomore season. Since 2022, he has 206 total tackles, 18½ for loss, 28 pass breakups and eight interceptions.