Ole Miss defensive end Cedric Johnson reveals biggest areas of growth

Rebel defensive end Cedric Johnson is primed for a breakout year in his junior season with Ole Miss. He finished second on the team in sacks a year ago with 6.5 to go along with 32 tackles on the season. With the Rebels primary pass pusher Sam Williams graduated, Johnson is ready to step into a starring role as an EDGE rusher.

He was present as SEC Media Days this past week, where he got plenty of opportunity to discuss the team’s upcoming season as well as his own.

Johnson was quiet but assured of his potential in 2022.

“I feel like I’m a lot more confident this year. Just going off of — starting last year — I feel like I know exactly what I need to do. [Ole Miss assistant coach Randall Joyner] has been honing in on the skills I need. My pass rush ability. My run block ability. I feel like I’m just gonna have a great year this year.”

Johnson continued, stressing the importance of improving on the little things in his game.

“I think just locking in on the small details. I feel like I’m faster and stronger than I was. But I feel like it’s the small things that are really going to take my game to the next level. Like my pass rush ability, run blocking, just the small fundamentals between that, watching film in different ways, and just asking my coach certain things to help me get better. What he thinks I need to do to get better.”

Cedric Johnson certainly seems in store for a huge year in his third season. And he also sees a bright future for the team as a whole.

Cedric Johnson sees CFP in Rebels future

When Johnson spoke about the program, he stressed the connectivity between the players as a strength in their locker room.

“I feel like us continuing to have a bond as a brotherhood,” Johnson said. “Just continue to stick together and work together and not have animosity with each other. You know, new transfers, it can be different things so I feel like staying together. Inviting the new transfers, welcome them in, love them. I feel like that’s just the biggest thing.”

If this year’s team can maintain that sort of bond, a special end of the season could be in store, Johnson believes.

“Expectations are — we’re trying to go to the playoffs, we’re trying to go all the way,” Johnson said. “That’s what we talk about as a unit so we got the blueprint. We won 10 games, we’re trying to go further. We’ll take that blueprint. We’ll take what we need to make it better and go from there.”