Jamon Dumas-Johnson – Syndication Server

Former Georgia LB declares for 2025 NFL draft

Former Georgia LB, two-time national champion declares for the 2025 NFL draft and says Georgia “will always be home”

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who played his senior season with the Kentucky Wildcats, has declared for the 2025 NFL draft via social media.

Dumas-Johnson is not ranked among the top seven linebackers in the draft. He is expected to be a mid- or late-round pick in the draft.

“Some team going to be very lucky to have a special person and player on their team soon!!” Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said after Dumas-Johnson’s decision.

Dumas-Johnson played at Georgia from 2021-2023. He won national titles with Georgia in 2021 and 2022. Dumas-Johnson started for Georgia in 2022 and 2023 before he suffered a season-ending forearm injury against Missouri.

Dumas-Johnson still has a soft spot in his heart for Georgia, which signed him as a four-star recruit out of high school.

“Thank you for letting me know what it feels like to win and become a two-time national champion. This will always be home,” said Dumas-Johnson in a statement via social media.

Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was Kentucky’s leading tackler in 2024. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Dumas-Johnson, who transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2024 college football season, had a memorable pick six of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound linebacker recorded 67 total tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble returns, one interception and one touchdown with Kentucky this season.

Georgia LB selected as Butkus Award finalist

Georgia Bulldogs junior linebacker Jalon Walker named finalist for Butkus Award

Georgia Bulldogs junior linebacker Jalon Walker has been named one of five finalists for the prestigious Butkus Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate linebacker, per the Butkus Foundation.

Walker, a Salisbury, North Carolina, native, is joined along with Clemson’s Barrett Carter, Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger, and Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman as finalists. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10.

Walker is the first Georgia player to be named a finalist since Jamon Dumas-Johnson in 2022. Former Bulldogs standout and current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean won the award in 2021 after also receiving the high school version of the honor.

This season, Walker ranks fourth on the team with 48 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and tied first with 5.5 sacks. Splitting time between inside and outside linebacker, he has also recovered two fumbles and has been a key leader on a Georgia defense that has allowed just 37 total points in the fourth quarter all season.

The Bulldogs (9-2, 6-2 SEC) will host Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3 ACC) in their regular season finale on Friday, Nov. 29. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.

Georgia transfer has stunning fumble return for TD vs. Texas

Georgia Bulldogs linebackers continue to haunt the Texas offense

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson is continuing his strong career with the Kentucky Wildcats. Dumas-Johnson, who transferring to Kentucky ahead of the 2024 college football season, had arguably his biggest play of the season with a pick-six of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Dumas-Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown helped cut Texas’ lead to 10 points in the third quarter. However, the Longhorns went on to win 31-14.

The former UGA linebacker has 62 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble returns, one interception and one touchdown this season.

Kentucky’s defense has played well this year, but the Wildcats’ offense and quarterback Brock Vandagriff, another Georgia transfer, has struggled. In fact, Kentucky’s offense has not scored more than 20 points against a Power Four opponent all season.

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UGA playing pair of familiar faces against Kentucky

Georgia football will face two UGA transfers that are now on the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be facing a pair of familiar faces on Saturday night against the Kentucky Wildcats. Former Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson both transferred from Georgia to Kentucky in the offseason.

Vandagriff and Dumas-Johnson both hold significant roles for the Wildcats. Vandagriff is Kentucky’s starting quarterback and Dumas-Johnson starts at middle linebacker.

The duo is recent experienced a new feeling. Both Vandagriff, a junior, and Dumas-Johnson, a senior, suffered the first regular season loss of their respective college football careers in Kentucky’s 31-6 home defeat to South Carolina.

How Vandagriff and Dumas-Johnson respond to defeat may define their careers. Unfortunately, they won’t have an easy task in Week 3 as Kentucky hosts No. 1 Georgia.

Both Vandagriff and Dumas-Johnson have a special place in the hearts of Georgia fans. The duo helped Georgia win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart notes that because players transfer does not mean that they should be viewed as a failure.

“Not everybody’s looking to transfer early and often,” said Kirby Smart on quarterbacks in the transfer portal. “They all want to play; they don’t all want to transfer.”

Smart notes that it is particularly tough for quarterbacks because most teams just play one quarterback at once.

“I say at the quarterback position, there comes a point in time when if you haven’t played, you’re running out of time to play,” continued Smart. “So, I don’t know what you want a kid to do. Wait out his whole career and not play? He (Brock Vandagriff) did graduate, he became a better player.”

“He certainly feels that he had a great experience at Georgia, and he has two national championship rings,” said Smart on Vandagriff. “So, I think that that’s a positive more than it is any kind of negative.”

Brock Vandagriff has 199 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions through two games. His QBR of 18.4 is ranked No. 127 in the country.

Vandagriff is getting the playing time he was looking for, but he is not performing as well as he’d like. He managed just three completions on 10 attempts for 30 yards and an interception in the Wildcats’ loss to South Carolina. He’ll have to play better to give Kentucky a shot against Georgia.

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Dumas-Johnson has six tackles and an interception through two games with Kentucky. Dumas-Johnson says he’s still buddies with his old teammates and comes back to Athens to visit, but that he has not been talking to many of his old UGA teammates this week.

“I ain’t lose in a long time, so definitely didn’t feel good,” said Dumas-Johnson ahead of the Georgia game. “But, you know, you win some, you
lose some… (I’m) not used to losing them.”

Kentucky transfer makes ESPN list of top 100 college football newcomers

Jamon Dumas-Johnson continues to receive praise heading into the 2024 college football.

ESPN’s Max Olson and Eli Lederman released a list of the top 100 newcomers in college football ($) on Monday.

Kentucky transfer Jamon Dumas-Johnson made the list and was ranked the No. 23 best overall transfer from the portal. While not a newcomer to college football, Dumas-Johnson is entering his first season in the Wildcats’ program after spending parts of three seasons with Georgia.

Per ESPN’s ranking of Dumas-Johnson:

“”Pop” Dumas-Johnson earned first-team All-America honors as a sophomore on Georgia’s absolutely loaded 2022 defense that won the national championship. He was a 24-game starter at linebacker for Kirby Smart and produced 126 tackles, 17 TFLs and 9.5 sacks. Players with those achievements rarely end up in the portal, but Kentucky is glad he became available. Dumas-Johnson has made a big impression on his new coaches as an ideal replacement for third-round NFL pick Trevin Wallace.”

Dumas-Johnson was a beast in the Bulldogs’ linebacking corps, starting all nine games he played in last year before suffering a season-ending forearm injury in Georgia’s 30-21 win over Missouri on Nov. 4 at Faurot Field.

A native of Baltimore, Dumas-Johnson recorded 34 total tackles (29 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks a season ago. In three years in Athens, he racked up 83 solo tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception return for touchdown. In 2022, he started all 15 games during the Bulldogs’ 15-0 national championship season.

Earlier this month, Dumas-Johnson was named to the Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list by College Sports Communicators in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.

He was also named to the 2024 Preseason Media Days All-Southeastern Conference teams. ESPN ranked Dumas-Johnson the No. 113 overall player in college football entering the 2024 season.

Kentucky opens the season against Southern Miss in prime time Saturday at Kroger Field (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Four Kentucky players make list of Top 150 college football player rankings for 2024

Deone Walker and Barion Brown were the two highest-ranked Kentucky players on CBS Sports’ list, which also included Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Maxwell Hairston.

CBS Sports unveiled its rankings of the Top 151 college football players heading into the 2024 season Monday.

Four Kentucky players made the list, with defensive lineman Deone Walker the highest-ranked Wildcats player at No. 40 overall. Walker was followed by receiver/return specialist Barion Brown at No. 46.

Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (No. 113 overall) and cornerback Maxwell Hairston made the list (No. 124), as well.

Walker enters his junior season having been named to various preseason awards watch lists, including the Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott IMPACT Trophy.

College football analyst Blake Brockermeyer said of Walker:

“The All-SEC defensive tackle is a presence in the middle and has tons of game experience, starting 25 of the last 26 for the Wildcats. Walker is surprisingly quick and athletic in condensed spaces and has a knack for finding the football while he’s being double teamed. His road to 7.5 sacks last season was paved by power first, counters and hand-swipes second. Opponents want nothing to do with him, I promise you that. There are some T’Vondre Sweat vibes here.”

In ESPN’s rankings last week, Walker was ranked the No. 21 overall player heading into 2024.

The second highest ranked Wildcat on CBS Sports’ list, Brown finished last season with 40 receptions for 439 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned three kicks for scores.

Brockermeyer had this to say about Brown:

“An explosive playmaker in multiple phases for the Wildcats. Brown doubles as a returner and has the ability to take it to the house any time he touches the ball, scoring three touchdowns on returns last year. Brown’s only knock is he suffered six drops last year and lost two fumbles. Has the ability to be one of the top receivers in the country but needs the ball more.”

Dumas-Johnson transferred to Kentucky from Georgia, where he was part of the Bulldogs’ 2022 national championship team that went 15-0. He played in nine games a season ago before suffering a broken forearm in Georgia’s Nov. 4 win at Missouri. Dumas-Johnson had 34 tackles (29 solo), 3.5 sacks and two passes defended in 2023.

For his part, Hairston had five interceptions last season, good for fifth in the nation and first in the SEC. He had two memorable interceptions returned for touchdown in Kentucky’s 45-28 win at Vanderbilt on Sept. 23, adding a forced fumbled and six passes defended across 13 games. Hairston was the only other ranked Wildcats player on ESPN’s list at No. 84 overall.

Kentucky opens the season in prime time on Aug. 31 at Kroger Field against Southern Miss, Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

ESPN analysts give their power rankings for all 16 teams of the SEC

ESPN analysts took a deep dive into the SEC, including giving their power rankings.

The SEC is always an interesting conference during football season, and this year, it figures to be even more fascinating.

The additions of Oklahoma and Texas make the SEC even more difficult that it has been, and gives the conference even more national title contenders. Where does Kentucky fit into the new-look SEC?

ESPN analysts Chris Low and Mark Schlabach took a look at the SEC on Thursday, examining Playoff, the top players, and their power rankings. Kentucky comes in down the list a little bit at tenth. They had this to say about the Wildcats:

Mark Stoops is the dean of SEC coaches, entering his 11th season at Kentucky. He’s won 10 games twice in his last five seasons, but is looking to regroup after going 7-6 a year ago and nearly being named the Texas A&M coach.

Low and Schlabach also listed a Kentucky linebacker as one of the conference’s top transfer additions. Jamon Dumas-Johnson came over from Georgia, where he had 24 starts. He should be one of the SEC’s best linebackers.

Related: Analyst says Kentucky is best team in Bluegrass State

Defensive lineman Deone Walker was also mentioned as on of their favorite players in the league.

The massive anchor of Kentucky’s defense is going to be one of the most coveted players in next year’s NFL draft because of his size (6-6, 345 pounds) and athleticism. He had 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries last season, despite facing myriad double-team blocks. He is already being compared to NFL starters Derrick Brown and Dexter Lawrence.

It’s an exciting season for the SEC as a whole. Kentucky has a brutal schedule, and getting back to a bowl game won’t be easy. However, they have a talented and experienced team, and will be fun to watch, no matter what happens.

Five Kentucky Wildcats named preseason All-SEC

The five players are Deone Walker, Barion Brown, Maxwell Hairston, Marques Cox and Jaman Dumas-Johnson.

Following the conclusion of SEC Media Days in Dallas last week, five Kentucky players were named to the 2024 Preseason Media Days All-Southeastern Conference teams on Friday.

The list includes junior defensive lineman and preseason Walter Camp selection Deone Walker and junior defensive back Maxwell Hairston — both First Team selections.

Junior wide receiver Barion Brown was named a First Team selection as a return specialist and a Third Team all-purpose selection. Two other Kentucky starters were named Third Team selections, as well: senior offensive lineman Marques Cox and senior linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

Walker had a breakthrough 2023 season, leading the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (7.5) and quarterback hurries (8).

Brown led the nation with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns in 2023. He caught 43 passes for 539 yards and four touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown catch against Clemson in the Gator Bowl.

Hairston was fifth in the nation in interceptions last season with five, including two returned for touchdowns in Kentucky’s 45-28 win at Vanderbilt on September 23. He returned an interception 29 yard for a touchdown in the first quarter and later returned one 54 yards in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats’ final score.

Cox started all 13 games for Kentucky at left tackle a season ago.

Johnson, who transferred from Georgia in December, played in eight games before suffering a season-ending forearm injury in the Bulldogs’ win over Missouri on Nov. 4. He finished the season with 34 tackles (29 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

Johnson enters the 2024 season with 125 career tackles (83 solo), 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and seven pass breakups with one interception and a forced fumbled.

Former Georgia LB makes PFF’s All-Transfer team

Georgia transfer linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson named to PFF’s All-Transfer team

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson has made the Pro Football Focus All-Transfer team. Dumas-Johnson, who transferred to Kentucky, entered the 2023 college football season as a preseason All-SEC selection.

Dumas-Johnson’s 2023 season did not go as planned as he suffered a forearm injury and missed a few games to end Georgia’s season. Dumas-Johnson, a former four-star recruit, recorded 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023.

Dumas-Johnson will instantly be one of Kentucky’s top defenders. He is an excellent blitzer (9.5 career sacks) and has sideline-to-sideline speed.

Dumas-Johnson missed the final five games of the 2023 season with a fractured forearm. The year before, he paced all SEC linebackers with a 79.7 run-defense grade and ranked second with a 26.7% pressure rate. He’ll be a leader of Kentucky’s defense next season.

The former Georgia inside linebacker will play against his former collegiate home on Sept. 14 in Week 3. The Wildcats also picked up another elite Georgia transfer in quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Bulldog fans will be rooting for Dumas-Johnson and Vandagriff in 2024, but not in Week 3.

Former Georgia LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson announces transfer destination

In case you missed it: Jamon Dumas-Johnson transfers to SEC foe

Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson announced his decision to transfer to the University of Kentucky. One of Georgia’s leading tacklers will stay in the SEC and join the Wildcats.

Kentucky has been resourceful with the portal over the last couple of seasons, and adding Dumas-Johnson could be their best addition yet. Dumas-Johnson was an impact player on the Bulldogs defense at the middle level. He was often the field general before a fractured forearm took him out for the rest of the season.

Dumas-Johnson finished his three-year career in Athens with 125 tackles, 9.5 sacks and one interception. This move puts Smael Mondon Jr. at the forefront of the defense. He announced his decision to stay at Georgia a couple of days ago, and he’ll be the leader in the linebacker room. Sophomore CJ Allen will also be critical as he filled in for Dumas-Johnson toward the end of the season.

The 6-foot-1, 235 pound linebacker is a former four-star recruit and will be entering his senior season with Kentucky. The former Georgia linebacker is the second player to transfer from Georgia to Kentucky joining Brock Vandagriff. Georgia will travel to Kentucky in Week 3 next season.