D. J. Johnson (linebacker)

D. J. Johnson (born October 21, 1998) is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL) and Oregon.

Early years
Johnson grew up in Sacramento, California and attended Luther Burbank High School. He had 85 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and 31 tackles for loss as a senior. Johnson was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college football at Miami over offers from Washington, Alabama, USC, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

College career
Johnson began his college career at Miami. He played in eight games and made three tackles as a freshman. After the season, Johnson left the program with the intent to transfer.

Johnson ultimately transferred to Oregon. He sat out for the regular season of his first year with the Ducks per NCAA transfer rules. As a redshirt sophomore, Johnson played in 13 games and finished the season with 14 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks. He was moved to tight end for the 2020 season. Johnson finished the season with 10 receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns. He played both defensive end and tight end as a redshirt senior and had 11 tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack on defense and caught one pass for 11 yards on offense. Johnson used the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to Oregon for a fifth year.

Professional career
The Carolina Panthers traded up to the 80th overall pick to select Johnson in the 2023 NFL draft.