Baylor

One of the top linebackers in the Big 12 Conference ... fifth-year senior returning starter at the MIKE position ... 237 career tackles ... had 11 double-digit tackle performances in his career ... 2019 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches, AP) ... 2019 Second Team Academic All-Big 12 ... 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 first team selection (Athlon, Lindy’s, Phil Steele, Media) ... 2019 Butkus Award Watch List ... 2019 Nagurski Trophy Watch List ... DCTF All-Texas College first team ... Father, Kent, spent over two decades as strength and conditioning coach, most recently with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and currently serves as injury return specialist with Baylor sports medicine ... completed undergraduate degree in December 2018 ... pursuing master’s in sport pedagogy ...  ... 2018 All-Big 12 coaches second team selection ... AP All-Big 12 second team honoree ... Waco Tribune-Herald All-Big 12 second team ... Earned team’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Award in the spring ... Earned a single-digit jersey in Aug. 2019.

2019 (Senior): 2019 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches, AP) ... Second Team Academic All-Big 12 ... started first six games of the season at MLB before season was cut short due to knee injury in game vs. Texas Tech ... for the fourth-straight game led the Bears in total tackles with 10, also fourth-straight double-digit tackle performance vs. Texas Tech (10/12), also collected his first interception of the year and second of his career, had 1.5 TFL and 1 pass breakup before hurting knee ... led the Bears with total tackles, finished with 11, 1.0 TFL at K-State (10/5) ... had a team-high 13 tackles vs. ISU (9/28), also had 1.5 TFL, a season-high 2 pass breakups and 1.0 sack for 5 yards ... tallied a team-high 13 tackles (7 solo), with 2.0 TFL and 1 pass break up at Rice (9/21) ... led the team with 6 tackles (2 solo), a career-best 1.5 sacks for 8 yards vs. UTSA (9/7) ... in the season opener vs. SFA (8/31), finished second on the team with 5 tackles (3 solo) with a half TFL and one pass breakup.

2018 (Junior): 2018 All-Big 12 second team honoree (coaches, AP, Tribune-Herald) ... Finished the season ranked 5th in the Big 12 with 99 total tackles, fifth with 8.25 tackles per game ... Played in 12 of 13 games this season, starting the last 11 ...  Finished with a team-high 99 tackles ... Averaged 13.3 tackles per game in the month of November ... Collected 4 tackles (3 solo) and was credited with 2 pass breakups vs. Vanderbilt in the Texas Bowl (12/27) ... For the sixth time this season, led the team with total tackles, finishing with 12 (6 solo) and 1 TFL vs. Texas Tech (11/24) ... For the fifth time this season, led the team with total tackles, finishing with 15 (10 solo), along with 1.5 TFL vs. TCU (11/17) ... Was second on the team with 9 tackles, 3 solo and a half TFL at Iowa State (11/10) ... Had a career-high 17 tackles vs. OSU (11/3), the most by any Bear since 2013, 14 of those were solo, the 2nd most by any player in FBS this season ... Finished with 6 tackles (1 TFL) at West Virginia (10/25) ... At Texas, led the team with 13 total tackles (career-high 10 solo), along with first sack of the season, finished with season-high 1.5 TFL for 13 yards ... Made 3 tackles (2 solo) vs. K-State (10/6) ... Started at Oklahoma (9/29) but did not record a tackle ... Had 4 tackles (1 solo) vs. Kansas (9/22) ...  Made his first start of the season vs. Duke (9/15), led the team with 11 tackles (8 solo) ... Made season debut at UTSA (9/8), collecting  5 tackles (2 solo), good for third-best on the team ... second team preseason All-Big 12 (Phil Steele).

2017 (Sophomore): Played in eight games with eight starts ... Set career highs with 54 tackles, nine TFLs, one sack, one forced fumble and three QB hurries on season ... Led Baylor in tackles in five games ... Had at least six tackles in six of eight games during season and had at least one TFL in all but two games ... Started, had two tackles vs. Texas before leaving early due to season-ending injury ... Started vs. No. 23 West Virginia, had seven tackles ... Started at No. 14 Oklahoma State, had two tackles and 0.5 TFLs ... Started, made seven tackles and one TFL at Kansas State ... Started, notched seven tackles, all solo, and one TFL vs. No. 3 Oklahoma ... Started, tallied career highs of 13 tackles, one sack, three TFLs and two QB hurries at Duke ... Started vs. UTSA, made career-high 10 tackles (career-high nine solo) and one TFL ... Started, had then-career highs of six tackles and 2.5 TFLs along with first forced fumble and one QB hurry vs. Liberty.

2016 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all 13 games with two starts at linebacker and defensive end ... Started vs. Boise State, made four tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss ... Tallied four tackles at No. 13 West Virginia ... Posted two tackles and QB hurry vs. Kansas State ... Had two tackles at No. 9 Oklahoma ... Made first start, had three tackles and 0.5 TFLs vs. TCU ... Registered one tackle and first interception with 65-yard return vs. Kansas ... Tallied one tackle at Iowa State ... Notched two tackles vs. Oklahoma State ... Totaled two tackles and one TFL vs. SMU ... Made career-high five tackles and two TFLs vs. Northwestern State in season-opener ... Played but did not record stats at Rice, Texas and vs. Texas Tech.

2015 (Freshman): Redshirted true freshman season.

High School: Two-time all-state linebacker from Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas ... Two-way player under head coach Hugh Sandifer at WHS ... Rated nation's 69th outside linebacker prospect by ESPN and 73rd by Scout ... Listed state's No. 10 LB recruit by Dave Campbell's Texas Football 2015 winter publication ... Listed among Texas Top 150 by Dave Campbell's Texas Football and No. 137 in-state prospect by ESPN ... Two-way all-state honoree as senior, named 2014 second team Class 4A All-State on defense and honorable mention running back ... Earned 2014 second-team All-Texas honors from Dave Campbell's Texas Football, named All-Big Country Super Team Player of Year by Abilene Reporter-News and District 3-4A MVP ... Led Wylie to 10-3 record, 2014 4A DI regional semifinals and No. 5 final ranking as senior ... Totaled 85 tackles (17 for loss), six sacks, 12 QB hurries, six PBUs and three forced fumbles ... Offensively, took over as starting tailback in week six after injury to teammate, ran for more than 1,050 yards and 19 TDs, also 200-plus yards on 10 receptions ... Also blocked three kicks and had 28-yard kickoff return on special teams as senior ... Named 2013 first team Class 3A All-State at linebacker as junior ... Selected 2013 All-Big Country Super Team Defensive MVP by Abilene Reporter-News after leading WHS to 8-4 record and to 3A DI area finals ... Made 138 tackles, 34 TFL, six sacks and five PBUs as junior.

Personal: Son of Kent and Pam Johnston ... has three brothers: Kody, Kole and Cade ... Kody, played football at Texas A&M and Kole at Tarleton State ... father spent 24 years as NFL strength coach ... Majoring in health, kinesiology and leisure studies.