A.J. Johnson is a beast.

He wanted that moniker and has since lived up to it. Selected to both preseason All-SEC and preseason All-SEC Coaches first teams, its no surprise that Johnson is having a stellar senior season, but more surprising that he’s even having one.

Since enrolling in 2011, Johnson has been a part of three-straight losing teams and has never made a bowl game appearance. Rather than begin his professional career a year early, Johnson opted to return to Knoxville for one more try at a winning season.

Thus far, Tennessee holds a 2-1 record and looks like an improved team. However, the Vols are coming off a blowout 34-10 road loss to No. 4 Oklahoma that brought the team back down to reality.

Many Tennessee players struggled against the heavily favored Sooners, but not Johnson. He recorded a season-high 11 tackles and led an improved, young defense to compete with one of the best offenses in the nation.

Tennessee’s defense managed to force Oklahoma to kick on several red zone possessions and keep the score relatively close through three quarters. For Johnson, it was a showcase of why he is regarded as one of the top linebackers in the country.

Johnson currently leads the SEC with 29 tackles and is averaging 9.67 per game. Had he spent his first three seasons on a winning team, he would be a nationally recognized superstar.

Johnson falls into a similar situation as Eric Berry during his tenure in Knoxville. Though his individual success ranks among the all-time greats in program history, the majority of his career was spent on defenses that lacked enough talent otherwise to win more games.

Johnson deserves the acclaim he receives and continues to prove why he should be regarded as a top college linebacker.