Brandon Johnson

Brandon Johnson makes a tackle against Northwestern

Brandon Johnson gets ready to make a tackle against UCF in the Military Bowl

Brandon Johnson sacks Virginia Tech's quarterback

Chandler Rivers and Brandon Johnson celebrate

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Shaka Heyward and Brandon Johnson tackle a Virginia player

Ja'Mion Franklin and Brandon Johnson celebrate after Franklin's sack

Brandon Johnson recovers a forced fumble to halt a Northwestern score

Brandon Johnson and Speedy Young make a tackle against Temple

Position:
Nickel
Height:
5-10
Weight:
180
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Newton, N.C.
High School:
Newton-Conover

DUKE CAREER: Lettered three seasons (2021-22-23) … two-time Honorable Mention All-ACC selection … in 37 career games (26 starts), recorded 128 tackles, 16.0 TFL, 7.5 sacks, two INTs, 11 PBUs, two caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and seven QB pressures ... garnered 2+ tackles on 30 occasions, including a career-best nine against Miami (2022) and Virginia (2023) ... tallied two career INTs against Miami and Northwestern in 2022, as well as a 29-yard INT return for a TD against the Hurricanes ... posted 1.0+ TFL on 11 occasions, including a career-best 2.0 TFL against North Carolina A&T (2022), Miami (2022) and Virginia Tech (2022) ... carded a career-high 2.0 sacks against Miami (2022) and Virginia Tech (2022) ... earned a career-best two QB pressures at Boston College in 2022 and a career-high two PBU against Northwestern (2022) and Clemson (2023) … tallied one caused fumble against North Carolina A&T (2022) and UCF (2022) and fumble recoveries versus Virginia (2021), Northwestern (2022) and Miami (2022) ... played 2,081 career snaps.

2023: Honorable Mention All-ACC selection ... recipient of the team’s defensive skill player of the year award … played and started in 12 games, missing the Birmingham Bowl against Troy due to injury … compiled 56 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, four PBU and three QB pressures … ranked tied for first on the team in TFL and sixth in tackles … posted 11 games with 3+ tackles, including a season-high nine against Virginia … accumulated 1.0+ TFL on seven occasions with a season-high 1.5 coming in contests with Connecticut, North Carolina and Pittsburgh … posted 1.0+ sack against Lafayette and NC State … recorded a season-best 2.0 PBUs in the season opener against Clemson … tallied one QB pressure against Lafayette, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh … on the field for 850 snaps.

2022: Honorable Mention All-ACC selection ... recipient of the team’s Cutcliffe Family Award, which is awarded to the overall most improved player in the program … started all 13 games, finishing with 55 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, two INTs, seven PBUs, two caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four QB pressures ... ranked tied for first on the team in sacks and PBUs, tied for second in INTs, third in TFLs, and fifth in tackles ... posted 10 games with 3+ tackles, including a season-high nine at Miami … accumulated 1.0+ TFL on four occasions with a season-high 2.0 coming against Miami, North Carolina A&T and Virginia Tech … earned one INT against Miami and Northwestern ... returned an interception 29 yards for a TD at Miami … recorded a season-best 2.0 PBUs at Northwestern … registered a caused fumble against North Carolina A&T and UCF ... one of 10 players in Duke bowl history to record a caused fumble ... recorded a fumble recovery at Miami and Northwestern ... notched a season-high two QB pressures at Boston College ... selected the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week and ACC Co-Defensive Back of the Week on Oct. 22, 2022, after logging nine tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one caused fumble and one INT return for a TD in the Blue Devils’ victory at Miami … on the field for 938 snaps.

2021: Played in all 12 games, with one start against Miami … compiled 17 tackles and one fumble recovery … recorded 2+ tackles on six occasions, including a season-best five against Miami ... secured lone fumble recovery against Virginia ... on the field for 293 snaps ... enrolled at Duke in January, 2021.

PRIOR TO DUKE: Lettered three seasons at Newton-Conover for head coach Steven Pack … tabbed a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com … amassed 44 total tackles in 13 games with three INTs and a caused fumble during senior season while helping Newton-Conover reach the state playoffs with an 8-5 record … named all-conference and all-state … also lettered three years in track and was the regional 100-meter dash champion.

PERSONAL: Born March 25, 2003 … graduated from Duke in the Summer of 2024, with a degree in sociology and a certificate in markets and management ... son of Wayne and Alanda Johnson … father lettered four seasons in football at Lenoir-Rhyne University (1991-92-93-94) … mother lettered four years in basketball at Lenoir-Rhyne University (1993-94-95-96) and set the school single-game record for steals with 11, while finishing career as the program’s all-time leader in steals (336) and scored over 1,000 career points.