Auburn Lands Committment from SEC Edge Rusher

The Auburn Tigers add defensive help from a fellow SEC program for further front seven depth

The Auburn Tigers add more defensive depth from a fellow SEC program | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have earned a portal commitment from former Missouri edge rusher Nate Johnson. Johnson is the second player in the front seven to commit to the Tigers today, joining App State’s Saint Farrior.

Missouri EDGE Nate Johnson has signed with Auburn, @JLeeAUSports and @PeteNakos report.https://t.co/cMeICmy9Lh pic.twitter.com/3gtZxbMkcK

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 10, 2026

Both players added today have a history with Appalachian State. Though Johnson transferred in from Missouri, the edge rusher made his name with the Mountaineers in his first two seasons of college football.

Johnson is ranked as the No. 264 player in the portal via On3’s Rivals and the No. 27 edge rusher. Johnson is ranked as a three-star prospect out of high school, but has not applied a star ranking to him as a transfer, according to 247Sports.

2025 was a down year for Johnson with Missouri, as he didn’t record a single sack and only managed six total tackles, four of which were solo. He earned just a 68.5 pass rush grade via Pro Football Focus, also a large step down from his previous marks at App State. However, don’t let the statistical regression fool you into thinking Auburn just took on a player that can’t hack it in the SEC.

The main reason Johnson took such a step back was the studs that Missouri had rushing the passer for most of 2025. Damon Wilson II and Zion Young are both future NFL talents off the edge, and both players took the vast majority of Johnson’s potential playing time in 2025.

When he’s not stuck behind two players that will play on Sundays, Johnson can be an extremely good pass rusher in his own right. He recorded 4 sacks for App State as a true freshman in 2023, earning an outstanding 82.8 pass rush grade via PFF. It was more of the same for him as a true sophomore, recording four sacks and a 78.6 pass rush grade. 

He was App State’s best player on tape for both of those seasons, though he only held the team lead in sacks as a true freshman. However, that season saw the awards rain in for Johnson, as he earned freshman All-American nods from The Athletic, On3, and College Football News.

If Auburn can get the player that he showed the potential to be as a true freshman, the Tigers just picked up a lightning bolt off the edge for 2026. At the worst, Johnson can still be a solid rotational player for Auburn in a designated pass rusher role against certain packages.