Mustafa Johnson, Colorado Football News: Draft Scout Player News

10/12/20 - DT Mustafa Johnson, rSr/2022, Colorado

Recent defensive line coaches at Colorado have had to deal with a lack of depth, experience and high-end talent. Chris Wilson doesn't have those issues, but the Buffaloes' first-year defensive line coach is hoping intense competition makes one of CU's strengths even better. Hired in February, Wilson took over a group that returns three starters - senior Mustafa Johnson, junior Terrance Lang and sophomore Jalen Sami - along with several others who gained valuable experience in 2019. All of them will fight for starting jobs as the Buffs gear up for the Nov. 7 opener against UCLA. "We've got really good talent here. My job is to make sure we develop them. I like the group we've got, I like their competitive edge; they're working really hard every day. The biggest thing is how we're transitioning from where we were a year ago to now. There's a lot of good carryover. I'm excited about the group."

Mustafa Johnson has 13 sacks in his career with Colorado. Leading the group is Johnson, who has been a two-year starter and one of the most disruptive defensive linemen at CU in the past decade. Although he dealt with some injuries last season, Johnson, a former junior college transfer, has 107 tackles, 13 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in his first two seasons with the Buffs. Wilson compared Johnson to Brandon Graham, a 2016 All-Pro that Wilson coached with the Philadelphia Eagles. "I'm not saying he's Brandon Graham, but he's got that kind of diversity," said Wilson, who coached the Buffs' defensive line from 2000-04 under head coach Gary Barnett. "He can play end, he can play tackle, he can line up at the nose. He gives you a lot of position flexibility." - Daily Camera

rSr/2022