The once-JUCO defensive end is number one on Jake Rowe’s ranking of 2019 signees as projected contributors this coming season.
Nobody signs junior college prospects without the expectation that they can help right away, especially guys who have just two years of eligibility left. The good news for Georgia is that Johnson has all the tools to be a difference-maker from day one. At 6-foot-5 250 pounds, he can play on all three downs. He can be disruptive against the run and the pass and has the raw ability to be a terror when he’s in full pass-rush mode.
I’m all good with that.
Get The Picture 
I’m cautiously optimistic … that’s about as positive I can be about our history with JUCO players.
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Dude is a beast.
https://247sports.com/college/georgia/Article/Georgia-Bulldogs-Recruiting-Jermaine-Johnson-ultimate-season-highlights-from-UGA-commit-125086203/
It’s nice to look at a list of freshman and know you’re not counting on a bunch of them right away. I do think there are a few that might make an immediate splash.
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Great linked article. Definitely worth a read.
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I think this defense will be elite this year. I think they can be a better overall unit than the 2017 squad and that is without a Roquan. If The young guys from last year and this year (Johnson and Smith) take a step forward it could be a all time year for the dawgs.
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DT and ILB have to significantly improve to be close to 2017.
I think they can, maybe at ILB, but DT really worries me still. Recruiting at DL has been really the only miss in Kirby’s tenure.
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Thinks I am as excited about #24 as I am #1. Strong, strong class….a lot of quality/potential. But we’ll see….”hard work bets talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. Gonna see who wants it…
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You can always tell that a Juco/transfer (particularly one not from the south) is NOT going to be a immediate contributor if you get the late summer update about how he is having trouble acclimating to the heat.
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Concur…but fingers crossed
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The combination of Johnson on one side and Nolan Smith on the other should make for a lot of fun over the next few years. Our D pressure is about to go up substantially.
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I’m with ya, secondary coverage should have an uptick this season…..
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I hope he can get pressure on the QB. I think Nolan Smith will contribute next season as well. Our defense should be excellent. With the talent Kirby is amassing, there’s almost no reason they can’t be.
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One and done… Enjoy him while we can – word is that he ‘that good’
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Just like wide receivers aren’t seeing the field if they don’t block well, pass rushers aren’t seeing it until they learn how to handle all of Kirby’s run fits.
Nolan and Jermaine will be at best situational this season.
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Great point. We could have put more pressure on the QB last year but we hardly ever blitzed and our guys always tried to stay in their gaps. Kirby has spent two years protecting against the 20+ yard plays. Hopefully, he will take a few more risks on passing downs.
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Oh, mercy. Too early in the morning for this kind of talk, Senator. Whew.
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I never get too excited about JUCO transfers since I watched Last Chance U. That show changed my entire perspective on college football. Ignorance was bliss I suppose.
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can you expound? I watched the first few episodes of S1 and lost interest.
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Yeah. You can basically read at a 3rd grade level, play at a JUCO, and have your grades and scores doctored by the staff there enough to go play at a big school. It’s a joke. That thing about not wanting to see the sausage made? Yeah, that’s it. Just watch the first two seasons.
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While I want him to be all that and chips, Ima gonna hold back my enthusiasm until I see him against SEC players. Looks very promising!
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McIntosh is way too low on that list if they are looking at who will play. All the happy talk notwithstanding, White isn’t any more likely to be ready when fall camp breaks than he was last fall a year out from the first tear. McIntosh has two any down backs in front him. If one of those two go down he will have to play if they can get him ready. The two wrs are way too high on that list in terms of who will play. Blalock may get action in the return game.
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