Mustafa Johnson, Colorado Football News: Draft Scout Player News

09/09/21 - DT Mustafa Johnson, rSr/2022, Colorado

A couple of weeks ago, Colorado coaches let players know that Mustafa Johnson might be coming back to the team. On Tuesday, head coach Karl Dorrell said Johnson has been cleared to start practicing with the Buffaloes, although he didn't say when the veteran defensive lineman will be eligible to play. "It's huge," linebacker Nate Landman said. "He was one of our best leaders last year and a super productive guy on the field, a great leader off the field. "We're so excited to have him back and he means a lot to this team. He's a huge leader on that D-line and having him back is nothing but great for this program." Johnson elected in January to skip his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. He signed with an agent, but went undrafted and was unable to land a free-agent contract with an NFL team. He did receive a tryout with the New York Jets but was not signed.

He has been granted a waiver to return to CU and play his final season but has to go through practice time and serve a suspension because he did sign with an agent. When BuffZone reported last week that Johnson was coming back, sources told BuffZone that Johnson could make his debut on Oct. 2 against Southern California at Folsom Field. On Tuesday, Dorrell did not talk about a specific return date. "He will start the practice regimen," Dorrell said. "We just got clearance today, actually, about him being able to start practice. There's an acclimatization period that he needs to go through that a lot of our players when they begin practice have to do. There's also part of the stipulation of his reinstatement that he's got to serve as well. "He's just going to get himself in shape and he can help our team be better...He's going to have some time to get himself in shape. And he's excited. Our team's excited he's back and I'm excited. We feel he's going to really help us when we get into the meat of our season." - Daily Camera

rSr/2022