Oregon edge rusher DJ Johnson accepts invite to Senior Bowl
During his final season as an Oregon Duck, DJ Johnson proved to be the program’s most effective edge rusher.
He will cap off his college career by playing in the Senior Bowl.
On Saturday, Johnson accepted an invitation to the year-end all-star game, which annually features some of the top NFL Draft prospects.
Johnson, a sixth-year senior from Sacramento, Calif., tallied 39 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks this season.
The No. 75 overall prospect in the class of 2017, Johnson originally enrolled at Miami out of high school and spent one year with the Hurricanes before transferring to Oregon in 2018.
After splitting time at edge rusher and tight end earlier in his career, he settled in as a dynamic pass-rusher under head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi this season.
During spring ball, Lupoi said that one of his first acts in Eugene after accepting the Ducks’ DC position was ensuring that Johnson would operate as a full-time defensive player for the Ducks in 2022.
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“Obviously, having to share duties and play both ways and stuff, there’s going to be some stuff that we got to improve with him,” Lupoi said. “I’ve been really impressed by how he’s attacked the process, especially the mental aspect of the defense and the concentration to go get better. This guy is on a mission to improve every day, that’s obvious to me.”
Johnson led the Ducks in sacks and was second in tackles for loss behind only Brandon Dorlus.
Following Oregon’s loss at Oregon State in the final game of the regular season, a video emerged of Johnson punching a fan as he was exiting the field. Earlier this week, a UO athletic department spokesperson said there was no word on whether Johnson would be punished for the incident.
In November, Oregon center Alex Forsyth also accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl. Last season, safety Verone McKinley III was the lone Duck to play in the Senior Bowl.
The Senior Bowl will be held on Feb. 4, 2023, in Mobile, Ala., and kickoff at 11:30 a.m. The game will air on NFL Network.
About the Senior Bowl
Per the Reese’s Senior Bowl website
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process. The longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama the past 73 years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 900 media members from around the country were credentialed last year. This past April, the game produced a record-tying 106 total picks for the second straight year, representing 40 percent of the entire NFL draft, including 45 of the top 100 players selected.
