2022 UCF DE Signee Jamaal Johnson Senior Film Review

Detailing the talents of Chaminade-Madonna defensive end Jamaal Johnson.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Dec 27, 2021 7:15 PM EST

One of the items that Jamaal Johnson brings to UCF would be winning. The talented defensive end has been a part of one of Florida’s best programs in Chaminade-Madonna.

Good coaching, a team atmosphere, and a dedication to winning help define that football program. Chaminade-Madonna has won state championships in 2003, 2005, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

Johnson was a big part of that continuity with how hard he played as well as making big plays despite other teams going out of their way to stop him.

Johnson was also a part of a one-two punch at defensive end that’s truly unique.

He brings a different skill set to the table as compared to fellow defensive end recruit Keahnist Thompson, and the two should work well with one another.

Jamaal Johnson

Vitals: 6’2”, 250-pounds

Position: Defensive End

High School: in Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna

Recruiting: Originally committed to Miami, Johnson switched his commitment to UCF on June 18. Pittsburgh, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa State, Syracuse, Ole Miss, West Virginia and Boston College were some of his other offers.

Frame

A stocky and compact build describes his frame, but with long arms. Those will help him to be a pass rusher. He’s not going to be a player that adds a lot of additional weight once on the UCF campus. He’s already filled out pretty well in his lower body and upper body so he’s likely to stay in the 250-to-270-pound range.

Athleticism

Good First-step explosion. Johnson works to the edge of the offensive tackle quickly with that first step, and it serves him well. He’s able to bend and stay low when bull rushing, as well as when he “runs the hoop” around the outside of an offensive tackle during a passing play.

What is different about Johnson compared to Thompson would be how he’s played stand up outside linebacker, much like Big Kat Bryant did for UCF this season. Look for the Knights to move him around depending on the situation.

He’s capable of being a strong side defensive end or weak side defensive end, like Thompson, and he’s really good at using a combination of speed of the snap of the football and turning it into power once he engages with the offensive lineman in front of him.

Versatility

While he’s not a true linebacker, Johnson could drop into coverage every now and then. He certainly moves well enough laterally to accomplish this task. His ability to be a power rusher could also lead him to being a three technique on third down and long plays (third and fifteen, etc.) to get as many athletes on the field as possible.

Pass Rushing

Johnson likes the hand swipe move for his go-to, but he’s also adept at gaining leverage and using a stab move or a bull rush. That’s unusual for a pass rusher to go with power moves out of high school.

Areas to Improve

Learning additional pass rushing moves. That’s the status quo. Johnson needs to stay on the path that he’s on and he will be just fine. UCF has a variety of ways that it uses its defensive ends so there’s bound to be a few featured packages that best suit Johnson’s abilities.

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