Ole Miss defensive end C.J. Johnson celebrates after a 44-23 victory over the Texas Longhorns last season. (The Daily Mississippian, File photo)
The Ole Miss pass rush was one of the weak spots on defense last season; One reason being the absence of junior C.J. Johnson on the defensive line.
During the 2013 season, Johnson started the first four games of the season and recorded 12 total tackles. Johnson missed the last nine games of the season because of an ankle injury, which required surgery.
With the return of Johnson, the Rebel defense looks to be one of the best in recent memory. Johnson has taken notice in his return and how much potential this year’s team really has.
“It’s on another level. I haven’t seen this football team this prepared, this ready to go and so anxious since I’ve been here,” Johnson said. “Everybody in there is bouncing off the walls. It’s all about how you use your energy. Everybody is fired up, but how do we use it?”
The leaders on the defense, which include Johnson, D.T. Shackelford and senior Cody Prewitt have all made sure that their teammates stay sharp in practice and control their energy, Johnson said.
When Johnson arrived in Oxford in 2011, the Rebels went 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play in Houston Nutt’s last year as head coach. It’s safe to say that Johnson has seen it all for the Rebels. The turnaround that Johnson witnessed firsthand has been eye opening.
“It’s been very different. You can just tell by people’s body demeanor and the way they come to work every day,” Johnson said. “You don’t feel like ‘oh man. I have to practice today.’ It’s not that kind of feeling. Everybody is excited and ready to go. Then you talk about talent; you see that pretty much just walking around. We look like an SEC football team when we show up for practice.”
The transition period Boise State is going through with a new coaching staff this year has made it difficult for the defense to prepare for the Bronco offense. Johnson thinks it’s not so much preparing for the Boise offense, but more about worrying about yourself and your assignments.
“It’s tough, but the good thing is that sometimes when you face that situation you’re not so worried about your opponent. You focus on yourself,” Johnson said. “We know what we have to do on defense and we know what we have to do well. If we can execute assignments and lineup right, we’ll be fine.”
The defensive line this year is mostly filled with upperclassmen, and some of the younger players have to wait their turn to get reps this season. Johnson never had to go through that process, as he recorded 32 tackles his freshman year. Being told to wait to play your freshman year is a tough pill to swallow for the young defensive linemen, but Johnson has confidence in the players and is thankful for the opportunity to play as a freshman.
“It was kind of hard for us coming in as freshman in that we didn’t have the bodies that we needed,” Johnson said. “For us to adjust the way we did was really tough.”
