He traded his Rocky Top ‘T’ for the ‘U.’ Transferring to Miami was a ‘no-brainer’
Deandre Johnson grew up in the backyard of Miami Hurricanes history and played at Miami Southridge High with Hurricanes Dee Wiggins, Mark Pope and DJ Scaife. But it was the Southeastern Conference that initially showered him with love.
So off the talented defensive end went to Knoxville to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. After 41 games and nine starts in four seasons, good for 58 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, Johnson was ready to trade the “T” for the “U” and come home to his family.
No better way to begin your quest for an NFL-embracing final collegiate season than to open it Sept. 4 against defending national champion and consensus No. 1 Alabama, which decimated the Vols 48-17 last October in Knoxville. But Johnson, who has transitioned from his former 3-4 outside linebacker-type role with Tennessee to a more traditional 4-3 edge-rushing role for the Hurricanes, put it succinctly when asked Tuesday night about his experience in the SEC and the type of football played there.
“A couple of guys asked me what to expect’’ in terms of “physicality and the size of the team we’re playing,’’ said Johnson, who was listed as a sub but registered no stats in last season’s Alabama game. “All that is going to handle itself. It’s just football at the end of the day.’’
UM more ‘uplifting’
Johnson did, however, tout his Hurricanes experience thus far, which includes an April spring game in which he finished with 2 1/2 tackles for loss and a strip-sack that yielded a safety. He missed nearly half of spring because of COVID-19 protocols.
“Most definitely I’m back to 100 percent now,’’ Johnson said after UM’s fifth practice session of fall camp, held in the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility while the soccer team had an exhibition game in its adjoining stadium. “Just had to work to get back in football shape. Great strength and conditioning program so everything is back to normal now.
“He said he doesn’t like “to compare’’ the UM and Vol programs, “but one thing, just coming back to Miami, the coaching — it’s great, competitive coaching here. Everybody wants you to get better, everybody pushes you every day to be your best here. You come in here and compete. You see the greats that came before us. It’s just a standard here at the U.
“The experience here is just different. It’s more of an uplifting beat. Players are more motivated, coaches are more motivated. It just feels more like a winning environment.”
Johnson still wears jersey No. 13 and is listed as 6-3 and 260 pounds. A three-star prospect at Southridge, he played in 10 games last season, garnering 28 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks, five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
Stars to replace
UM coach Manny Diaz has not named any starters on the defensive line, but with last year’s star ends Jaelan Phillips now with the Dolphins and Quincy Roche with the Steelers, Johnson is expected to play a main role. Among the others vying to be starters are 6-2, 254-pound sixth-year veteran Zach McCloud, who has transitioned from linebacker, and 6-4, 252-pound third-year redshirt freshman Jahfari Harvey.
“Coach Diaz allows us to be vertical penetrators and really affect the quarterback,’’ Johnson said after the spring game. “When you do that you can win a lot of ball games.’’
He said he studies former Canes and NFL star edge rushers, such as Calais Campbell.
“I try to steal something from each of their games.’’
Simpson’s take
UM assistant head coach/defensive line coach Jess Simpson, previously at UM in 2018 before becoming the defensive line coach the past two seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, also spoke to the media Tuesday. He said “Dre,’’ as he called Johnson, has “good play strength’’ brings the needed experience and smarts of a more mature player and fits in well with his new teammates.
“He plays with good leverage and he’s a skilled rusher,’’ said Simpson, who nonetheless indicated that Johnson still has “fundamental stuff” he has to improve. But for “learning a whole new system” and “being an old guy, he’s picking it up pretty fast.’’
Simpson also lauded McCloud for “his attitude, his juice, his personality, his effort, his toughness’’ and how determined he is to master his new position. The coach praised Harvey for becoming more consistent and improving as a pass-rusher after Simpson game him “a real strong list of things” to work on “coming out of spring in his point-of-attack tape.”
“I tell you what,’’ Simpson said, “through five days of camp you could tell he’s put the work in and he’s getting better.’’
Bottom line: How do you adequately replace Phillips and Roche?
“That’s for other people to care and worry about,’’ Simpson said. “Our job is to put a unit out there that’s going to play winning football for the Canes.”
