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EspañolA former Georgia Bulldog is heading to a new team. The New York Jets have former Georgia pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II to the Tennessee Titans for 25-year-old nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat, according to Adam Schefter.
Johnson II showed flashes of being an elite pass rusher with the Jets. After they drafted him with the 26th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, he improved his sack numbers from 2.5 to 7.5 from 2022 to 2023. He also had a pick-six, seven pass breakups, and eight stuffs.
Then, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 2 of the 2024 season, ending it prematurely. During that year, Jets defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh was fired, and Johnson III wasn't the same pass rusher when he came back in the 2025 season. Johnson III had just three sacks in 2025. The hope is that reuniting with his former head coach on the Tennessee Titans will get back his pass-rushing chops, even if T'Vondre Sweat is younger and fills a more desired niche at nose tackle.
Johnson was on three teams during his college football career. He started with Independence Community College, playing with the Pirates from 2017-18. The Georgia Bulldogs signed him on Dec. 19, 2018, and he spent two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, racking up 34 total tackles, a pass-breakup, and 6.5 sacks through two seasons.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs never got to see the full potential of Jermaine Johnson II. He transferred to the Florida State Seminoles for the 2021 season, and he exploded, getting 70 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. He earned the 2021 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Sweat, meanwhile, had 85 career tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks. Ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he has established himself as a strong run defender. He also earned AP DROY votes in 2023.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Former UGA football pass rusher traded to Titans in blockbuster