Jermaine Johnson II took a risk to play one year in Tallahassee, and he achieved the desired result as he announced his intention to enter the 2022 NFL Draft class last Thursday (Twitter). The red-shirt senior transferred from Georgia, where he enrolled as a JUCO prospect out of Independence Community College.

In two seasons as a Bulldog, Johnson II produced admirably, tallying 8.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. But he felt the best move for his career was just south of the Florida-Georgia line.

In his lone season at Florida State, Johnson II led the ACC in tackles for loss (17.5) and sacks (11.5), surpassing both of his career Georgia totals in half the time. He spent a lot of time harassing ACC quarterbacks as he racked up 12 quarterback hurries and forced 2 fumbles.

He currently figures as a late first-round pick, but as someone who’s seen their stock rise significantly over the past year, Johnson II doesn’t come off as someone who will be comfortable settling for day one. Johnson II will have the opportunity to try to put his name in the conversation with top draft prospects Kayvon Thibodeaux, Aidan Hutchinson, and George Karlaftis as the calendar turns to March at the 2022 NFL Combine.