Georgia football: Is Jermaine Johnson a 1-and-done?

Georgia football signed a JUCO player in Jermaine Johnson that many think could go to the NFL after just one season. Is he really that good?

JUCO players are just starting to get a bit of love. With the now popular Netflix show Last Chance U, fans around the country are starting to realize how hard junior college football is. They’re also starting to see that there are some seriously talented players at these colleges, even if a lot of them do have issues that put them outside the big collages.

Jermaine Johnson does not have those issues. A physical freak, Johnson comes from a small town in Minnesota and consequently, nobody in America seemed to notice him in high school. Independence College in Kansas did and since arriving, he’s lit up the JUCO ranks. This season Johnson accounted for 8 sacks in 11 games and when you watch his highlights, it’s easy to understand why. 6-ft-6 guys who weight close to 260lbs are not supposed to be this athletic.

Watching Johnson play, it’s pretty clear that the guy is gifted. That being said, I personally think that he does get by a bit on that raw talent. He’s playing against players who just are not as good as him and at times, he’s able to use that to overcome some technique issues.

Now, while I say that, I will point out that he’s got everything you need to be special. He has also already arrived in Athens so is already working with Dan Lanning and Georgia’s coaches. The level of coaching he is currently receiving is going to be a completely different level from what he had before. That’s no disrespect to the guys and Indy C.C. It’s just the fact that Lanning showed last year that he can flat out coach.

Johnson is going to benefit more than most from that coaching and from going up against top players every single day. He’s a hard worker who will fit well into the Georgia culture and taking up the challenge of trying to beat some of the best tackles in football every day will only make him better.

I’m not sure that I buy that Johnson is the one-and-done prospect that many are saying. However, I also haven’t seen him line up in Athens yet which is why I’m reserving judgment. If he makes his way into the starting lineup to start the season and goes on a tear, well then I’ll be very happy to eat my words. It likely means that UGA will have one of the top pass rushers in the SEC. I, and basically every other Dawg fan out there will happily take one year of that guy and cheer him on in the pros.