The 45 Most Valuable Rebels of 2014: No. 7 C.J. Johnson

The 2014 Ole Miss football season is just around the corner. Now that we have hit the 45 day mark until kickoff, we are going to countdown the most valuable Rebel players this season. Their rankings are based on their positions and how much of an impact they will bring to the table. Today on the countdown is…

In 2013: C.J. Johnson started the first four games at defensive end last season and missed the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his ankle. In those four games, Johnson recorded 12 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss and two QB hurries. His best performance of the 2013 season came in the win over Texas where he recorded five tackles, with a career-high 3.0 tackles for a loss, and a QB hurry.

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The Value: Many are quick to forget that C.J. Johnson is a former 5-star prospect. So, the talent is there and I for one am ready to see him exile with his talent. Johnson had a very successful 2012 season, but I believe he is capable of producing more. During the offseason, he has proven he is healthy now from his injury and has went through spring and fall practices without any issue. C.J. Johnson has already been named preseason All-SEC third team by Lindy’s, fourth team by Phil Steele. He was granted a medical redshirt for missing majority of the 2013 season, so the Rebels might have the advantage of having him for two more seasons, if he choses not to go into the NFL Draft after this season. The Ole Miss defense was not horrible last season, but it’s not hard to imagine that if they had Johnson the full season, they could have been better. Considering the fact that Johnson led the team in sacks the previous season, which was an area of the game the Rebel defense struggled last season. Fellow teammate Larmey Tunsil had this to say about blocking C.J. Johnson to The Clarion Ledger:

"“C.J., it may not look like he (doesn’t) have everything but he has everything. He’s fast off the edge, and he can convert that speed to power.”"

As long as C.J. Johnson can remain healthy, he will be virtually unstoppable in the upcoming season. Johnson will line up at defensive end next to Issac Gross or Woodrow Hamilton at nose tackle, Robert Nkemdiche at defensive tackle, and likely across from Fadol Brown who will line up at the other starting defensive end position. It is looking to be a strong starting defensive line for the Rebels in 2014 and C.J. Johnson adds a lot to that factor.

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