'I Feel Prepared!' Former Ole Miss Rebel Cedric Johnson Ready to Take The Next Step

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Cedric Johnson is well prepared for the next step in his football career thanks to his time in Oxford.

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels held their 2024 Pro Day on Wednesday and had 15 players work out in front of NFL teams hoping to boost their stock ahead of the NFL Draft on April 25. It was a packed house, as the Rebels hosted all 32 NFL teams.

One of the players on the field was defensive lineman Cedric Johnson, who led Ole Miss in sacks (5.5) in 2023. The Mobile, Ala., native declared for the 2024 Draft after helping lead Ole Miss' defense to a Peach Bowl appearance, and he finished his four-year career as a Rebel with 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, 19 sacks, and four pass breakups.

Johnson was available to speak with the media after his workouts and talked about his preparedness when it comes to taking the next step in his football career.

“I feel pretty prepared,” Johnson told reporters. “These past few months I’ve been working with a great team. A great coach has been training me, he’s been training a lot of different NFL guys, but he’s been showing me what to expect and how I should start to develop moving forward into the NFL.”

Johnson also explained that the defensive schemes used at Ole Miss prepared him for the NFL.

“I believe [the schemes at Ole Miss] prepared me a lot,” Johnson said. “We run a fairly pro-style scheme. Coach [Pete] Golding is very smart, I feel like he’s preparing us for the next level at every position.”

Johnson stated on Wednesday that he hasn't taken any team visits with NFL franchises, but he has had conversations with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, and New York Giants ahead of this year's draft.