Illinois Transfer Defensive Lineman Commits to Mississippi State

The Bulldogs get some help on the defensive line.

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs helmet on the sideline during / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Anthony Johnson commits to Mississippi State and is the fourth defensive lineman signed out of the transfer portal for first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. One of the biggest areas of concern for the Bulldogs is their lack of experience on the defensive line, particularly in the interior.  

Johnson is a college football veteran, and this will be his fourth different program of his career. He started out at Bowling Green before transferring to Youngstown State in 2021. 

The Cleveland, Ohio native played well in his time at Youngstown. He made six starts as a junior, made 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and had a sack. 

Last season, the 6-3 300-pounder had a career year with 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and four sacks. After his breakthrough season, he entered the transfer portal again and ended up in the Big 10. 

However, Johnson would not stay in Illinois for long as it was announced on April 13th that he was no longer with the program. MSU needed some help on the defensive line in both portal cycles, and this is the most productive defensive lineman they have signed, albeit at a lower level. 

Mississippi State defensive line coach David Turner is notorious for his development of players, so the Bulldogs hope the veteran coach can work some magic on Johnson.