Jason Johnson (linebacker)

Jason Johnson Jr. (born June 1, 2001) is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Illinois and UCF.

Early life and high school
Johnson attended high school at Rich Central. Coming out of high school, Johnson decided to commit to play college football for the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

Eastern Illinois
In the 2021 season, Johnson would lead the Ohio Valley Conference in tackles with 112. Johnson finished his career at Eastern Illinois with 235 tackles and two and a half sacks.

UCF
Johnson decided to transfer to play for the UCF Knights to continue his collegiate football career. In week two of the 2022 season, Johnson tallied 12 tackles in a 20-14 loss versus Louisville. Johnson finished the 2022 season with 126 tackles with four being for a loss, one sack, two fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. For his performance in the 2022 season, Johnson earned first-team all-American honors. Johnson decided to return to UCF for the 2023 season as a fifth-year senior. In week 12 of the 2023 season, Johnson notched six tackles, a sack, and he deflected a pass that was intercepted, as he helped UCF dominate Oklahoma State 45-3. In Johnson's final season in 2023 he tallied 114 tackles with six and a half going for a loss, three sacks, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery. Johnson was invited to play in the 2024 Hula Bowl, in which he was named the game's Defensive MVP.

Professional career
Johnson signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2024.