Impact of Jermaine Johnson winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year

FSU football defensive end Jermaine Johnson took a chance on the Noles, and the FSU coaching staff took a chance on him.

Johnson committed to a three-win team with a head coach going into his second season. FSU took a commitment from a talented player who played as a reserve at a program with talented players.

In the end, both parties came out as winners as FSU saw its pass rush defense improve drastically, and Jermaine Johnson became known as one of the best pass rushers in the nation on a team that finished 5-7.

The ACC announced Johnson as the 2021 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Wednesday morning.

Jermaine Johnson is the first FSU player to win the award since the former defensive end, Demarcus Walker, after the 2016 season.

Defensive end Bjorn Werner won it after the 2012 season before that. Johnson had one of the most impressive one-season careers in FSU football history in 2021. The 70 tackles, 12 sacks, 17.5 tackles for a loss, 12 QB hurries, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown scored is the stuff of legend.

His success should have a huge impact on the coaching staff on the recruiting trails. They are looking to land a 2022 elite pass rusher and legacy recruit in Marvin Jones Jr., and will likely look to take 1-2 pass rushers from the transfer portal.

This aspect helps with future recruiting classes in 2023 and 2024 as well. Coaches have proof of concept that if players come to FSU, this is the type of thing that’s possible. Johnson projects to be a first-round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft by many pundits.

What more could an elite player want? Come to FSU, play in big games, in front of one of the best atmospheres in college football, with a chance to play at the next level.

Congrats to Jermaine Johnson for an outstanding season, and it was a pleasure to watch him this season. He’ll always be a Nole in my book.