Wisconsin football: Rodas Johnson standing out at defensive end this fall
In this story:
After signing with Wisconsin as part of the 2019 recruiting class, choosing the Badgers over scholarships from Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others, expectations were high for Rodas Johnson.
Rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals, Johnson redshirted as a true freshman and proceeded to see snaps play in the Dukes Mayo Bowl during his second season in Madison.
However, last season Johnson's development in the weight room and practice field earned him an opportunity for more playing time as a redshirt sophomore. As the primary backup for Matt Henningsen and Isaiah Mullens, Johnson played in 12 games at defensive end, working as a rotational piece in Wisconsin's base 3-4 defense. Johnson finished the year with 12 total tackles, with his best performance coming against Notre Dame when he recorded a sack and forced fumble.
With Henningsen off playing with the Denver Broncos, Johnson entered fall camp this year a favorite to start alongside Keeanu Benton and Isaiah Mullens, and so far, he looks the part.
The redshirt junior has been one of the more consistent standouts in fall camp and has flashed his playmaking ability in all three practices available to media members.
On August 8, the first full practice open to reporters, Johnson lined up with the first-team defense and was in on multiple run stops during the team portion of practice.
On August 13, Johnson began team drills with an impressive tackle for loss against the first-team offense. He knifed through the line quickly and brought down Braelon Allen for a significant loss. Johnson followed that up by making an incredible move as a pass rusher and sacking the quarterback, before ultimately recording another tackle for loss on a wide receiver reverse. Johnson played with great play disciple and read the flow of the play perfectly to tackle Skyler Bell for a loss.
This past Monday, Johnson once again flashed his playmaking ability. He got off an interior block to bring down Chez Mellusi for no gain and proceeded to sack quarterback Graham Mertz later during 11-on-11 work.
Wisconsin defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej believes that the defensive line has the talent and depth to "do something special" this season, and one reason is the emergence of Johnson this fall.
When Kolodziej was asked about Johnson's development, Kolodziej had this to say about his starting defensive end, "Rodas has always had a gifted toolbox, you know he's explosive, he can run extremely well. He's fast, he's quick, he's strong, he's all those things. I think what he is starting to do is figure out which tools to use and when to use them to his advantage."
Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard also had nice things to say about what Johnson brings to the defense. "The No. 1 thing with Rodas is how hard he plays. He is a high-energy guy that plays extremely fast and twitchy," Leonhard said over the weekend.
With a tireless motor, Johnson is making the most of more opportunities this year. Coach Kolodziej believes that Johnson's "mental growth and maturity" has played a key role in him taking the next step this fall, saying, "the biggest thing for him is being able to narrow his focus and just focus on what's my role and what is my responsibility in the scheme. And now if I just focus on doing that to the best of my ability, we're all going to have great success."
At 6-foot-2, Johnson brings a very different skill set to the defensive line room than fellow starters Keeanu Benton and Isaiah Mullens, both standing 6-foot-4 and over 300 pounds. With the Badgers looking to replace several key players on their top-5 defense from a year ago, Johnson's jump in production is coming at the right time. Wisconsin's defensive line appears to be one of the top overall units on the defense, and there are very few questions about the group as a whole.
Roughly two weeks before the season opener, we will see if he can carry over his playmaking ability in fall camp to the regular season. However, there is little doubt that Johnson is an important part of the defense and his position group, according to his position coach. "He brings a ton of energy. He has a great spirit, a great approach to life and to the game, and he is a joy to coach and be around. I think we are very fortunate to have him in our room."
Related links:
- Depth on the defensive line standing out for Wisconsin football
- Wisconsin running backs Chez Mellusi and Isaac Guerendo ready for the season
- Wisconsin 'trying to be smart' with Vito Calvaruso in kicking competition
You can keep up to date on everything at All Badgers by liking + following our Facebook page and Twitter account:
Facebook - @AllBadgers
Twitter - @SI_AllBadgers
You can also follow Site Publisher Matt Belz at @savedbythebelz on Twitter.
