Purdue Transfer Lawrence Johnson Announces Commitment to Auburn
After spending five years with the Purdue football program, defensive tackle Lawrence Johnson announced Sunday that he is committed to Auburn via the transfer portal.
Johnson appeared in all 14 games for the Boilermakers during the 2022 season, recording 25 total tackles and a career-high 1.5 sacks while also tallying one pass deflection and one forced fumble.
Blessed to say I’ll be playing my last season at Auburn University.. #WDE 🦅 pic.twitter.com/ZwNJNBzkG0
— Lawrence Johnson (@law_jay09) January 8, 2023
Johnson came to Purdue ahead of the 2018 season as a three-star recruit out of R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. He appeared in two games as a reserve during his freshman year and went on to redshirt.
In 2019, Johnson appeared in all 12 games for the Boilermakers and made nine starts. He finished the season with 21 total tackles on the year.
During the 2020 season which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson played in all six games and made another two starts while recording four tackles. He returned to the team in 2021 and started in all 13 games along the defensive line, setting a career-high with 34 tackles on the year.
After five years of college football, Johnson has 88 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He will join an Auburn team that finished with a 5-7 overall record, including a 2-6 mark in the SEC.
With the addition of Johnson, the Tigers bolster their defensive line after allowing 395.2 yards of total offense to opposing teams, including 172.7 yards on the ground. Johnson is one of four Purdue defensive linemen who entered the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season.
Related stories on Purdue football
- Purdue Football 2023 Transfer Portal Tracker: In our Purdue football transfer portal tracker, you can find a complete list of Boilermakers that have entered the transfer portal and also include players that are transferring to the program for the 2023 season. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Optimistic for 2023 Season Under Ryan Walters: Following a 63-7 loss to LSU in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Purdue football enters a new chapter in its program under coach Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers will look to build on its success in the past two seasons when it takes the field in 2023. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.