A team captain and one of the most respected members of the team, Johnson announced his intentions on social media. He said after A&M's victory over North Carolina that he had made no firm decisions and would have to pray about it, but it was expected that he would turn pro.

Johnson led the Aggies in tackles each of the past two seasons, but his play stepped up several notches in 2020. He racked up 86 tackles, led the the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and was tied for second on the team with 4 sacks. He also led the Aggies with two forced fumbles, and returned an interception for a touchdown against LSU. He capped his Aggie career with a stellar Orange Bowl, picking up 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

For his career, Johnson tallied 210 tackles, 24.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. He also scored two touchdowns, with the other coming in 2019's win at Ole Miss.

Nobody expected him back, so this is hardly an upset. Johnson's excellent performance likely moved him up to the middle of the 2021 draft and his upside is tremendous, so this was a move that made sense for him.

WIth Aaron Hansford also gone, the Aggies are in their worst case scenario, even if it's a long way from disaster. Sophomore Chris Russell played a little alongside Andre White this season, so those two will likely get the first looks in the spring. White's spot in the lineup is secure; Russell will have to fight off freshman Antonio Doyle and redshirts Tarian Lee and Ke'Shun Brown to keep his spot (if he has it).

Johnson leaves a big void in the middle of the defense and in the locker room, but that's life in college football. The 2021 team will be better because of his influence this year.