Ole Miss Football: Top 10 Players On Defense In Last Decade 2007-2017

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: C.J. Johnson #10 of the Mississippi Rebels celebrates sacking the Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback during the third quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

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No.8 CJ Johnson, DE

When it comes to great players on defense in the past decade it’s really hard to find a harder playing Rebel than CJ Johnson. Out of Philadelphia, Mississippi CJ Johnson spent 5 seasons as a Rebel from 2011 thru 2015 and was a very vocal team leader both on the field as a play-caller and off. Coming off a 2012 sophomore season which saw CJ rack up 55 tackles and 6.5 sacks he only played 4 games in 2013 before being sidelined with ankle surgery. The injury would require surgery and a medical red-shirt for the junior defensive end.

CJ Johnson would come back faster and stronger than ever and finished out his career at Ole Miss with 137 tackles with 23 TFL and 13.5 sacks. Johnson also had 3 INTs and 1 fumble recovery at the DE position. CJ was a key player in the success of the Landshark defense during his time in Oxford and especially during the 2015 season which resulted in a Sugar Bowl Championship. After football at Ole Miss CJ went into coaching and has found success in both the JUCO and Division I levels at EMCC and Florida Atlantic.

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