Instant Impact: How Will Caleb Johnson Bolster Miami's LB Corps?
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The Miami Hurricanes, known for producing generational defensive talents like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Dan Morgan, have been coming up dry recently in the linebacking department.
In the last ten years, only four linebackers have been drafted and only one of those players was selected in the first two rounds (Denzel Perryman, second round in 2015). Compare that to the Hurricanes’ 2004 draft class, where they sent three linebackers to the NFL in that year alone, and you can see why Miami fans have grown a bit restless.
As a program, the Hurricanes are in a far different state than they were in 2004, a year that saw six Hurricanes selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including late great Miami legend, Sean Taylor.
That stated, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff are already making strides towards a return to greatness, which starts with fortifying this Hurricane defense. Enter Caleb Johnson, former UCLA inside linebacker, who comes to Coral Gables via the revolving door that we know as the NCAA transfer portal.
Johnson also spent time in junior college and with the Texas Longhorns, before totaling 89 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and two interceptions in 18 games at UCLA.
Although he has only one season of eligibility remaining, the run-stopper brings much-needed experience and some serious size in the middle. Weighing in at 230 pounds and standing 6’1”, he’ll be the biggest inside linebacker on the Hurricanes’ roster.
His solid foundation enables him to make one-on-one tackles against power running backs and he’s shown adequate sideline-to-sideline speed to neutralize runs to the perimeter. This sure tackler will be a welcome addition to a Miami defense that ranked 44th against the run in 2021. There’s another positive to Johnson’s game.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will count on Johnson’s 6’1” frame and long arms to make it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to see over the middle. Johnson has already displayed good instincts in zone coverage, picking off a pass and deflecting three more for the Bruins in 2021 alone.
The former Bruin will join one of his teammates from his UCLA days in Mitchell Agude, an edge rusher who also made the cross-country move to Miami as a transfer this spring and should be heavily featured in the defensive line rotation.
The Hurricanes also return tackles leader Corey Flagg at middle linebacker, who chalked up seven tackles for loss and three sacks to go along with his 60 tackles in 2021, as well as likely starter at defensive tackle, Leonard Taylor, a sophomore that has been increasingly disruptive as his snap count has increased.
These players should form one heck of a roadblock for offenses this fall, and some Hurricanes will likely find themselves on an All-ACC defensive team this December.
Fans will get their first glimpse of Johnson and the rest of his fellow transplants in orange and green when they kick off the season at home against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 3.
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