DE transfer Jermaine Johnson's FSU debut a smashing success

The Florida State Seminoles picked up a number of high-profile transfers during the offseason, including the quarterback who came in late in Sunday's game and captured the entire nation's imagination.

But the one who was considered perhaps the best NFL prospect, the one who was supposed to be a weapon for a defense desperately in need of one, certainly lived up to the billing in his first game in garnet and gold.

Jermaine Johnson, who spent the previous two years at the University of Georgia, racked up seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the Seminoles' 41-38 overtime loss to Notre Dame on Sunday night.

For his efforts, he was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Tuesday.

"I just play that's at hand," Johnson said after the game. "I don't know anything about my stats. I just play the play that's going on, and the next play after that and the next play after that. Situational football. I came here to try to do what I can, be available for the team. I tried my best to do that tonight."

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With so much hype surrounding his Florida State debut, it seemed almost impossible for Johnson to live up to expectations.

But he did exactly that. The former four-star recruit (coming out of junior college) dominated the Notre Dame offensive line in the first half, so much so that the Fighting Irish had to make a switch at tackle midway through the game.

Johnson's presence also opened up opportunities for other linemen, and the Seminoles finished with a total of four sacks and nine tackles for loss in the game.

He was also a pivotal part of the Seminoles' run defense. Despite not registering a tackle in the final two quarters, Johnson was able to keep containment against the run and allow linebackers and safeties to come down and make plays on Notre Dame's star running back, Kyren Williams, who ran for 42 yards on 18 carries.

A season ago against the FSU defense, Williams ran for 185 yards on 19 carries.

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But with players like Johnson and South Carolina transfer Keir Thomas up front, the FSU front-four looked a whole lot different than it did a season ago.

"I feel like (the defensive line) definitely played really well," Johnson said. "I think we set the tone. We prided ourselves on (saying) no one's going to run on us. It's really a mindset. I feel like we went out there and did that. We weren't perfect by any means. We've got to go back to the drawing board, have another look at what we need to fix.

"But I feel like we did stop the run pretty well."

And No. 11 was a big part of it.

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell commented all offseason about how the transfers like Johnson, Thomas and quarterback McKenzie Milton have taken on vocal leadership roles despite being new members of the team.

On Sunday night, Johnson spoke as much with his actions as anything else.

He looked exactly like he has looked in preseason practice. He was as good as advertised in the season opener.

"I thought Jermaine played really well," Norvell said. "He was active not only in the passing game, but also against the run. ... He brought tremendous energy to our defense as well as our football team."

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