Vols Football: Predicting Top 5 Playmakers in 2014
3. A.J. Johnson
A.J. Johnson can tackle just about anyone. But he’ll need to do more than just tackle if the Vols want to play in December. PHOTO: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The unquestioned leader of Tennessee’s defense in 2014 will be senior linebacker A.J. Johnson, and the Vols will need him to have one of his best years in orange his last year on Rocky Top.
Throughout his three seasons with the Vols, A.J. Johnson has been a consistent tackling machine. As a freshman, he played in all 12 games and started 10 of them. He started all 12 games the next two seasons, and he’s racked up more tackles than any other Tennessee defender in that time.
As a freshman, Johnson totaled 80 tackles and 4.5 tackles for a loss. He also forced a fumble. His numbers skyrocketed in his sophomore season, as he racked up 138 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack. He led the SEC with his 138 tackles, and he was 4th in the entire FBS with those numbers. He registered the most tackles by a Vol since Jerod Mayo’s 140 in 2007. 2012 was also the season Johnson ran out of the “beast” package, running the ball 12 times for 21 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was named to the All-SEC 1st team by several agencies after the season. His sophomore year saw him rise to new heights, and expectations were elevated accordingly.
While Johnson had a solid junior season, he failed to make as many big plays as Butch Jones and defensive coordinator John Jancek would’ve liked. He once again led the team with 106 tackles and 8.5 tackles for a loss, but he failed to register a sack or a forced fumble, and his quarterback hurries went down from 8 as a sophomore to only 3 as a junior.
Johnson’s junior year was a solid one, but the Vols needed him to be more of a force than he was. He played more snaps than any other defender, and he was the consistent man in the middle of the front seven they needed him to be. But if the Vols are to take a step forward this season, they need Johnson to make more big plays.
In his career, Johnson only has one sack, and that came in the last game against Kentucky in 2012, a game that meant nothing for the Vols because they were already eliminated from bowl contention. He has 21.5 career tackles for a loss, and while that’s respectable, it’s still less than what the Vols want for their leader and best player on the defense.
With the addition of so many new faces on defense, Johnson will need to be the unquestioned leader on defense in 2014. But because of all those new players, Johnson doesn’t have to be the “do-it-all” defender for the Vols he was last season when he was asked to play almost every single defensive snap. He was asked to drop back in coverage over and over again last season, and pass coverage is not Johnson’s strength. With the addition of more athletic linebackers and dynamic defensive linemen, Johnson doesn’t have to be the top playmaker on defense this season.
But Johnson still has to be the leader and make some big plays when the Vols need it most. In order to make a bowl game in 2014, Tennessee needs Johnson to lead the defense and become a more disruptive force than he has so far in his Tennessee career.