Miami Football: 5 freshmen that will make a major impact in 2017

No. 3 – D.J. Johnson, Defensive Line

Miami’s defense had a tremendous season in 2016 and a big part of that was a dominant front four. The Hurricanes finished fifth in the NCAA with 108 tackles for loss and 22nd in the nation in sacks.

The Hurricanes added another elite defensive lineman to their roster by landing D.J. Johnson from Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Ca. He held over 100 offers from top programs across the country. Securing this 4-star prospect of was a great win for Mark Richt and company.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and around 250 pounds, Johnson is a bit on the lighter side for a defensive lineman. He is an incredible athlete and there has even been talk of him getting some carries at fullback in short yardage situations. Johnson talked about the possibility with the Palm Beach Post:

"Mark Richt was “still looking for a running back in general and for short yardage [and] asked if I would be interested in playing it,” said Johnson, who is set to arrive at UM in July. Johnson thinks defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski “might not be that happy, but it’s what is best for team. They’ll try me out at running back and see how it goes.”"

Obviously Johnson projects to be a defensive end for the Canes, but given their tremendous depth on the defensive line Miami may look for any way to get his supreme talent on the field.