De'Myrion Johnson is nondescript in a sea of yellow Southern football practice jerseys.
As the sun dropped at 8 p.m. recently and the A.W. Mumford Stadium lights shone brighter, the 6-foot-1, 295-pound defensive tackle blended in to his new surroundings — a positive development for a redshirt freshman who hasn’t played in his first college game yet.
The ho-hum way he worked and interacted with teammates was notable. He’s a former LSU player without any semblance of an inflated ego that some might assume after transferring to an FCS team from the Southeastern Conference.
That’s what Southern defensive coordinator Henry Miller likes about him. The former four-star recruit who was ranked 246th in the country by ESPN isn’t too proud to learn from less-heralded teammates.
“He understands that the scheme is new for him, and he's getting all the information he needs, not only from the coaches but from his teammates,” Miller said. “I think that, for a guy coming from the SEC to reach (out) to his teammate and ask how this thing worked, I think that's huge.”
One of those teammates is redshirt senior Zak Yassine, who was a rotational defensive tackle last season. When the veteran paused a drill to correct a teammate’s technique, Johnson’s eyes were glued to the lesson.
His attention to detail is part of why his name has been floating around preseason camp as someone the staff has been impressed by. His teammates have noticed.
“Sky is the limit for De'Myrion, for real,” Yassine said. “To me, he’s loads ahead of where he should be, so he definitely will help us this year a lot.”
Senior Ckelby Givens, the defensive leader who led the FCS in tackles for loss last season, recognized in talks before camp that his new teammate is a “humble” and “really good kid.”
The Jaguars are thrilled to add a player with not only pedigree but also a positive mindset. Coach Terrence Graves had been enamored with Johnson since he was at Westgate High School in New Iberia. Southern offered him a scholarship along with several power-conference programs.
Graves jumped on a second chance to get Johnson after he entered the transfer portal in December, although he admits he wasn’t the person who closed the deal with Johnson. The credit goes to Kendel Shello, a former player Graves coached as a Southern graduate assistant in 1994.
Southern defensive tackle De’Myrion Johnson talks with Southern head coach Terrence Graves during stretching before practice on Thursday, August 14, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“Y'all always hear me talk about relationships,” Graves said. “Well, relationships matter. The guy who really sealed the deal for us was a SWAC, former NFL player, Kendel Shello.”
After Shello won an HBCU national championship at Southern in 1995, the defensive end played 13 games in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts from 1996-98. He's also from New Iberia, like Johnson. Miller said Shello explained how the Jaguars can help Johnson accomplish his goals.
“(Shello) told him that, ‘Hey, you had your situation at LSU, why don't you give those Jaguars an opportunity,’ ” Miller said. “The guy came down and, you know, we spoke with him and his parents, and he gave us an opportunity. So we want to make it the best not only for us but for him as well.”
Johnson signed with Southern in May and has been ready to compete for the Jaguars since.
The aspect of Johnson’s game that excites coaches the most is his quickness once the ball is snapped. That trait for someone his size gives him upside in Miller's eyes. One thing the coaches are trying to improve is his hand placement when battling offensive linemen.
The role he’ll play on a stacked defensive line isn’t solidified yet as the staff still is evaluating the position before Southern's season opener against North Carolina Central at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Atlanta.
Miller did state Johnson is a player the Jaguars can rely on this season.
“That defensive tackle room is very, very competitive, but I don't see why we shouldn't have him in the game,” Miller said. “He should be in the game plan.”
Fitting into Southern’s culture has been a success for Johnson. The next priority is getting on the field and staying there.
“We're giving him an opportunity to come here and not only prove to us but prove to himself that you can play, that's the most important thing," Miller said. "He been doing a good job for us right now. Just hope things continue.”