'16 KS DT Alexis Johnson (UT commit 6/16/15)

#551
#551
LynxVol said:
“i think next year we’ll compete for a national championship,” he said. “the whole team plays with passion, and the defense plays with a lot of passion.”- 247
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Is that Butch or Johnson who said that?
 
#554
#554
Per P Fort

There was a reason four-star junior college defensive tackle Alexis Johnson chose the Vols this past summer after visiting the Knoxville campus just once.

Those reasons were solidified this past weekend when the 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman was back on campus for his official visit.

"It was amazing. I loved it at first, but it was even better this time," Johnson said.
Talk about it in The General's Quarters

Johnson took in the Vols' 53-28 win over Vanderbilt and named the game one of the best parts of his visit.

"The fans were so loud. I couldn't even hear myself. I loved the way they interacted and the wave and everything," Johnson said.

On the field, Johnson saw a Tennessee defensive line coached by Steve Stripling that seems to be the right fit.

"I saw the passion. They play with passion and that's how I play," Johnson said. "And they said I'm going to come in and play right away."

"He's got a really good defensive line there and that doesn't happen on its own. He's a great guy and I think he can make me better."

Johnson, who finished with 41 tackles, 8.5 sacks, double digit tackles for loss and an interception, heard increasingly from other schools this past fall including Alabama and Texas A&M.

But, he never waivered on his Tennessee commitment because of the future he sees the program has.

"The fan base and the fact that we have a chance to win it all in the next couple of years," Johnson said. "This year we lost some games and came up short but I think we have a chance to win some championships."

A big part of a chase for a championship will be because of the talent the Vols are bringing in along the defensive line, which includes Tennessee's newest commitment Jonathan Kongbo.

Johnson said he spent a good deal of time with the fellow four-star defensive lineman and is looking forward to playing with him.

"We actually spent a lot of time together. I know he's a great player and I want to play with him," Johnson said.
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#555
#555
I'm still expecting this guy to get a huge bump. At one point it sounded like Rivals was considering making him a 5* or at least the highest-rated JUCO player.
 
#562
#562
#565
#565
Ulysees E. McGill said:
Jeez engineer..that was a brutal assessment. Sounds like a smaller version of Big Dan.
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Lol, I kind of felt bad for it but it's just what I saw. I should reiterate I don't know anything about coaching football! And have never played. I'd like to hear what Breakerboy or de1conley thinks because I trust hem better than I.
 
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#566
#566
Honest assessment. When I watched his tape..I had the same thoughts. But like you..I am not a coach, so I will defer to the judgment of those better than me at judging DLinemen.
 
#567
#567
engineerVOL said:
I'll be honest, I'm not that impressed.

He has a slow first step, stand straight up and only got hits on the QB in that clip because they failed to even get a hand on him. He looks strong as an ox though, when he hit somebody they flew around like a cartoon. But who am I to question Strip? Lol.
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I actually thought he looked very good.

Keep in mind that his job isn't necessarily to pin his ears back and kill the QB. An explosive first step isn't always the key for a DT... you can bust through the line, only to find that the OL gave you that gap to keep you out of another one. Meanwhile, the RB runs through the gap you vacated and into the second level because you weren't disciplined. On snap, Johnson was usually attempting to diagnose the play while simultaneously keeping the OL's hands off of him so he could move to fill a gap or attack the ball as soon as he knew what the offense was doing.

Once he read the play, he displayed very solid quickness for his size, and like you said, his strength is simply too much for the level of competition in that reel. I like the tape.

Sidenote: I'm not a technical expert on the intricacies of line play either. Just a guy with a different opinion. :hi:
 
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#568
#568
Atzar said:
I actually thought he looked very good.

Keep in mind that his job isn't necessarily to pin his ears back and kill the QB. An explosive first step isn't always the key for a DT... you can bust through the line, only to find that the OL gave you that gap to keep you out of another one. Meanwhile, the RB runs through the gap you vacated and into the second level because you weren't disciplined. On snap, Johnson was usually attempting to diagnose the play while simultaneously keeping the OL's hands off of him so he could move to fill a gap or attack the ball as soon as he knew what the offense was doing.

Once he read the play, he displayed very solid quickness for his size, and like you said, his strength is simply too much for the level of competition in that reel. I like the tape.

Sidenote: I'm not a technical expert on the intricacies of line play either. Just a guy with a different opinion. :hi:
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Thanks for the extra set eyes. 👀
 
#570
#570
The Breakerboy said:
Very good film for him. Johnson plays off blocks well, needs to stay lower, but moves very well at that size. Will be very good depth.
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Good to hear. I kind of had the perception he was a day one difference maker/starter. Sounds like he has a lot of work to do or will at least be a situational player for the first year.
 
#571
#571
I thought his film was pretty good. He has some technique issues he needs to work out, but he's an EE. Coach Stripling should get that ironed out. He obviously has the tools to be a great DT for us.

Good thing this guy has 3 years though. If he turns out to be a late bloomer, he has time.

Edit: got him and Kongbo mixed up. Johnson's a two year guy.
 
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#572
#572
engineerVOL said:
Good to hear. I kind of had the perception he was a day one difference maker/starter. Sounds like he has a lot of work to do or will at least be a situational player for the first year.
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I think expecting him to come in and start ahead of Kmac or Tuttle might have been a little unrealistic. Not too many jucos hit the ground running at that high a level. With our DL solid depth doesn't necessarily mean he has "a lot of work to do".
 
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#573
#573
jjay2518 said:
I think expecting him to come in and start ahead of Kmac or Tuttle might have been a little unrealistic. Not too many jucos hit the ground running at that high a level. With our DL solid depth doesn't necessarily mean he has "a lot of work to do".
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Those two guys will end up the best tandem in the country. Especially if UGA keeps it's slaw linemen off their ankles. Tuttle will be Barnett 2.0 but at DT. He's hell and can play sideline to sideline.
 
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#574
#574
The Breakerboy said:
Those two guys will end up the best tandem in the country. Especially if UGA keeps it's slaw linemen off their ankles. Tuttle will be Barnett 2.0 but at DT. He's hell and can play sideline to sideline.
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Agree. Heck I would argue Tuttle was our best dlineman when he went down. Barnett has come on lately but he wasn't nearly as dominant early in the year.
 
#575
#575
DaddyChad said:
Agree. Heck I would argue Tuttle was our best dlineman when he went down. Barnett has come on lately but he wasn't nearly as dominant early in the year.
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They were tackling him early on. But he had like 15 tackles versus Oklahoma. He wasn't playing as bad as people thought. Vereen emerging and is playing tighter coverage has helped him.
 
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