Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Jett Johnson Shines Brightly Again
September 10, 2023 | Football
Linebacker records a pair of picks and more to lead the Bulldog defense in overtime win.
STARKVILLE – Jett Johnson exemplifies what it means to have the Bulldog mentality.
The driven, 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker from Tupelo, Mississippi made his presence felt in State's 31-24 victory over Arizona. He secured 11 tackles, one sack and a career-high two interceptions against the Wildcats.
One of those picks was tipped up by teammate DeCarlos Nicholson and fell right into the talented Johnson's hands. After the win, Johnson gave major props to Nicholson and the secondary for their tenacious performance that helped him deliver his own game-changing plays.
"It's honestly a testament to the DBs," Johnson said when asked about his interceptions. "We were just in our drops, and they made great plays on the ball. They got a [pass break-up], we got a pick and were rewarded for their hard work. We were just in the right spot pursuing the ball."
Like many of the veterans on the MSU defense, Johnson has plenty of experience in intense moments. He's appeared in 35 games since arriving in Starkville as a freshman in 2018.
"Every time that age gets brought up, I bring up [that] it's hard to emulate game experience," Johnson said. "Kind of being in the fire and just having a lot of [veteran] guys who have played a lot of football [is important] and you can't emulate it so it's nice to have."
Alongside his dynamic teammate – fellow linebacker Nathaniel Watson – Johnson played almost every snap on defense for the Bulldogs Saturday. The two combined for 21 tackles and three interceptions in the win. In 2022, they were the only pair of Power Five teammates to finish first and second in their conference in total tackles. They make each other better.
"We're the bash brothers," Watson said. "We pride ourselves on that. We watch each other and see how we can get better and I'm looking forward to continuing to play with him."
Individually, Johnson sat atop the SEC with 115 tackles in 13 games last season. Through the first two games of 2023, he has recorded 17 tackles and two sacks. He leads the team in tackles, sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions heading into week three. To say that Johnson is a nightmare for offensive units is an understatement.
Head coach Zach Arnett expressed how proud he was of the resilient play shown by Johnson and State's entire defensive unit in the overtime thriller.
"I'm really proud of the defense," Arnett said. "They had every opportunity to throw in the towel or not chase the ball hard. We were on them all week about pursuit and sure enough, the game came down to one play and pursuit made all the difference in the world right there."
Experienced leaders like Johnson will play a tremendous role as MSU ventures into conference play. Arnett spoke on the importance of having battle-tested veterans who lead by example.
"I'm sure they [Watson and Johnson] had great games," Arnett said. "I'm sure there's some plays they'll be disappointed by, but veteran guys are battle-tested guys who know what it takes to play a 60-minute game and then some. It's good to have that because they provide leadership to everyone else there on the sideline."
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The driven, 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker from Tupelo, Mississippi made his presence felt in State's 31-24 victory over Arizona. He secured 11 tackles, one sack and a career-high two interceptions against the Wildcats.
One of those picks was tipped up by teammate DeCarlos Nicholson and fell right into the talented Johnson's hands. After the win, Johnson gave major props to Nicholson and the secondary for their tenacious performance that helped him deliver his own game-changing plays.
"It's honestly a testament to the DBs," Johnson said when asked about his interceptions. "We were just in our drops, and they made great plays on the ball. They got a [pass break-up], we got a pick and were rewarded for their hard work. We were just in the right spot pursuing the ball."
Like many of the veterans on the MSU defense, Johnson has plenty of experience in intense moments. He's appeared in 35 games since arriving in Starkville as a freshman in 2018.
"Every time that age gets brought up, I bring up [that] it's hard to emulate game experience," Johnson said. "Kind of being in the fire and just having a lot of [veteran] guys who have played a lot of football [is important] and you can't emulate it so it's nice to have."
Alongside his dynamic teammate – fellow linebacker Nathaniel Watson – Johnson played almost every snap on defense for the Bulldogs Saturday. The two combined for 21 tackles and three interceptions in the win. In 2022, they were the only pair of Power Five teammates to finish first and second in their conference in total tackles. They make each other better.
"We're the bash brothers," Watson said. "We pride ourselves on that. We watch each other and see how we can get better and I'm looking forward to continuing to play with him."
Individually, Johnson sat atop the SEC with 115 tackles in 13 games last season. Through the first two games of 2023, he has recorded 17 tackles and two sacks. He leads the team in tackles, sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions heading into week three. To say that Johnson is a nightmare for offensive units is an understatement.
Head coach Zach Arnett expressed how proud he was of the resilient play shown by Johnson and State's entire defensive unit in the overtime thriller.
"I'm really proud of the defense," Arnett said. "They had every opportunity to throw in the towel or not chase the ball hard. We were on them all week about pursuit and sure enough, the game came down to one play and pursuit made all the difference in the world right there."
Experienced leaders like Johnson will play a tremendous role as MSU ventures into conference play. Arnett spoke on the importance of having battle-tested veterans who lead by example.
"I'm sure they [Watson and Johnson] had great games," Arnett said. "I'm sure there's some plays they'll be disappointed by, but veteran guys are battle-tested guys who know what it takes to play a 60-minute game and then some. It's good to have that because they provide leadership to everyone else there on the sideline."
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