During his time as the defensive backs coach at Texas Duane Akina typically reserved the nickelback spot for the next great Longhorn in the secondary. It started with Nathan Vasher, who changed how many across the country viewed the position with his safety size to go with incredible ball skills and cornerback instincts.

From Vasher's time until now, the linage of the nickelback spot at Texas is littered with Jim Thorpe Award winners, high NFL draft picks and All-Americans as Michael Huff, Aaron Ross, Aaron Williams, Kenny Vaccaro and Quandre Diggs have all thrived there. Playing nickelback at Texas comes with expectations, and John Bonney is said to be a perfect fit to continue that legacy.

The 6-foot, 188-pound redshirt freshman cornerback was the primary nickelback during spring practice, and he's stayed there during fall camp. An instinctive defensive back who had a knack at Houston Lamar High School for consistently putting himself in a position to make a play on the ball, Bonney's teammates have said he has what it takes to play one of the most important positions on the roster.

“He's smart and he's getting more instinctive at the position,” Duke Thomas said recently. “What I like about him is he's willing to know more. Why do I do this? Why, in this coverage, do I have to take this certain step? That's really going to help him not be a robot.”

The nickelback is important in the Big 12 because that player has to be able to play in the box and stop the run, blitz – especially at Texas considering how much the Longhorns like to bring the nickelback on designed pressures – and play man coverage. As head coach Charlie Strong has said, the nickelback will be asked to stick with the opponent's most explosive player.

“You look at our offense and we've got Daje (Johnson) at the slot receiver,” Strong said. “You've got to handle someone like Daje who's fast and quick and can stretch the field.”

Strong, who ideally would like a cornerback to man the position, said Thomas could also wind up training some at nickelback during camp. True freshman P.J. Locke, who appears to be a natural fit at the position, is currently backing up Bonney.

Bonney, a former four-star prospect, is going to get the first crack at the position. Teammates aren't worried about Bonney taking over the spot, he's done well enough in the spring, summer and thus far in the fall that his teammates have confidence in his ability to take what he sees on film and bring it to the field.

“That's what really makes that nickel position such a hard position to learn,” Thomas said. “It's so instinctive, you've got to have your eyes inside and outside and be in the right spot to make plays. John Bonney can do a great job of that.”