Tennessee football: Former Vols DT Alexis Johnson invited to Titans mini camp
Tennessee football’s third lineman is getting an NFL look. Former Volunteers defensive tackle Alexis Johnson Jr. is heading to the Titans rookie mini camp.
While Kyle Phillips and Shy Tuttle were able to ink deals, Alexis Johnson Jr. was the final Tennessee football starting defensive lineman looking for a spot on an NFL roster. Well, it looks like he’ll have his chance.
It appears, based on reports, that Johnson has been invited to the Tennessee Titans rookie mini camp. He is the second player the Titans are giving a look to, as they also signed former Vols linebacker Quart’e Sapp, who departed early for the draft but didn’t get selected.
The confirmation for this came from the official Twitter account of Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. That’s where Johnson first gained recognition as a four-star junior college defensive tackle before transferring to Tennessee football.
After committing to the Vols in 2016, Johnson could never really get going under Butch Jones. A personal matter kept him away from the team during the preseason for that year, and that kept him out of football shape all season. In 2017, he struggled to really make an impact.
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But in 2018, Jeremy Pruitt came in and installed his 3-4 system, and starting alongside Tuttle, Johnson burst onto the scene as one of the team’s best playmakers. He finished the year with 51 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, a pass deflection and an astounding 2 interceptions.
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Johnson was also key on numerous plays where he didn’t rack up stats. The most notable among those was the pressure he got on the defensive touchdown against the Auburn Tigers to seal the win for Tennessee football. That turnover was forced because of Johnson.
Just like Phillips and Tuttle, Johnson helped make up a unit that was by far the best on the Vols last year. If not for the defensive line, that team may have gone 2-10. Yes, we’re including a potential loss to the Charlotte 49ers. As a result, Johnson deserves credit, even with a 5-7 team, for standing out as a playmaker.
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At 6’3″ 314 pounds, the Titans may not be the best spot for Johnson since he clearly was better in a 3-4. However, his abilities could give him a shot still, and there’s a chance another team comes along and takes a look at him afterward. So don’t count out what he can do just yet. Johnson already was a surprise breakout player in 2018. The same thing could happen in the NFL.