California defensive lineman Brett Johnson, a preseason All-Pac-12 selection, will miss his second straight season after suffering a lower-body injury in practice Thursday.
The team didn’t specify the injury but said it’s unrelated to the fractured hip Johnson suffered during a car accident in the spring of 2021 that caused him to miss the season. He started 13 games in his first two seasons at Cal and recorded 46 tackles, including six for loss and three sacks. ESPN’s Todd McShay rated Johnson as the No. 40 overall prospect for the 2023 NFL draft.
“Brett is one of the toughest and most dedicated football players I have ever been around,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said in a statement. “Although this is a difficult situation for him, I am confident that he will return to the field in 2023. He has the unwavering support of all his coaches, teammates and everyone in our football program. It is important for us to rally around each other as a team and respond positively to this adversity.”
Johnson was selected preseason second-team All-Pac-12 by the league’s coaches. He appeared in all 17 possible games in 2019 and 2020. Johnson underwent surgery on his injured hip shortly after the car accident in April 2021.
Cal opens the season next Saturday at home against UC Davis.
