Local product Tyler Johnson looking forward to one last hurrah with his teammates in Las Vegas Bowl – The Arizona Republic

Arizona State running back Rachaad White won't be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, having opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. So did cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Jack Jones.

Defensive end Tyler Johnson, however,has bucked the trend of his teammates and NFL prospects from other schools who have chosen to sit out the season end game.

So when the Sun Devils (8-4, 6-3 in Pac-12 ) take to the field on Dec. 30 at Allegiant Stadium at the Las Vegas Bowl against Big 10 representative Wisconsin (8-4, 6-3 in Big 10), Johnson will be ready to go.

"Taking the opportunity and taking advantage of what I still have. I don't see a reason for me not to play," Johnson said after practice earlier this week. "Also, one of those deals I feel it can still help me with the process after I leave from here. I also want to continue playing with the guys I've been playing next to all season."

The contest will be the last in a Sun Devil uniform for the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder who signed with ASU out of Highland High School in 2017.

He has excelled the last two years after making the move from linebacker. And unlike early in his career, Johnson hasn't had to play through nagging injuries that even forced him to retire, although he ultimately decided to return a few months later.

This season the local product managed 33 tackles, four sacks, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries. He was the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week on Oct. 11 for his showing in ASU's 28-10 win over Stanford.

He was the only Sun Devil named to the Pac-12 first team selected by the coaches at season's end. While he may not have reached some of the individual goals he set for himself, he says he put in the effort to be content enough with the outcome.

"I can still look back at the season and say I tried my best and I had great group of guys on the defensive side that always held me accountable" he aid. "We did stuff together. We fought throughout games whether we were down of up. After the season when I self reflected, I didn't reach my personal goals but I'm still OK with how it ended."

Robert Rodriguez became the sixth defensive line coach in as many years when he stepped in two years ago and began working with Johnson, the team's most effective rusher.

Rodriguez is noted as a stickler for technique and Johnson says he worked hard at perfecting his footwork and hand placement, among other things.

Johnson has made a lot of big plays in his ASU tenure, one of those coming in the Territorial Cup victory over Arizona when he recovered a fumble at the Wildcats 1, with the Sun Devils capitalizing for a touchdown two plays later.

Sometimes players are resistant at change, particularly when they have had success previously. Rodriguez worked through that with his player, who has seen the rewards of what can happen when you give in to the process.

"I tell the joke all the time to our players I say guys, Tyler is one of those guys that he wakes up in the morning, he opens up the covers and theres a football there. The football finds him and its like nothing Ive ever seen before," Rodriguez said. "So its hard sometimes when Im asking him to do the difficult things I ask him to do, for him to say, Yeah. Completely commit. Tyler has slowly but surely just figured it out. It happens for a lot of people. Some people never do because theyre just so stuck in their ways and its not malicious, it wasnt a bad thing, but he has consciously tried to work on himself, work on his mindset, work on those aspects. Its like fighting nature. Hes really fighting his natural way of thinking and doing things, so youre rewiring him."

Head coach Herm Edwards has had players opt out of bowl games in the past, most notably wide receivers N'Keal Harry and Brandon Aiyuk, both of whom became first round draft picks. Running back Eno Benjamin, now with the Arizona Cardinals, opted out his junior year too.

Edwards understands the decision each player has to make.

I think its become a part of it now, and you see lots of these guys opting out to not play in bowl games. When I first got here, we talked about it, some of the guys who decided not to, so you want them to play, but a lot of these guys have been preparing themselves for the draft, and I understand that," he said. "Its a business decision youve got to make, and thats fine.

The Sun Devils have been a little short-handed on the defensive line all season with the losses of three-technique tackle Jermayne Lole and end Travez Moore with Lole going down before the season started.

So the coach is happy to have Johnson in the fold for one last game.

I think it says how much he loves being a Sun Devil," Rodriguez said. "It was an emotional game for him, Arizona, (senior defensive lineman) Shannon Forman the same thing, (junior defensive lineman) Corey Stephens, DJ Davidson all of them, and hes got love for this place and for the people, all the Sun Devil fans. Its genuine. And thats what shows. It also shows that he does love us and he loves his teammates and all that stuff.

Linebacker Darien Butler and nose tackle D.J Davidson have accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine game to be played on Feb. 3 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Butler had not publicly declared whether or not he would return next season but his appearance in that game would indicate he plans to enter the NFL draft. Butler, the team's second-leading tackler, has been practicing with the team in preparation for the bowl game.

Cornerback Chase Lucas, who has opted out of the bowl game, earlier accepted an invite to the same bowl game.

Senior right guardHenry Hattisreturned to practice for the first time in nearly a month. He missed the last three games of the regular season and had not participated in the first two bowl practices but is trying to get back in game form.

Center Dohnovan West is out after having hand surgery so the offensive line the first two practices featured freshmanBen Scottat center, sophomoreJarrett Bellat right guard and sophomoreSpencer Lovellat right tackle in addition to the normal starters in left guard LaDarius Henderson and left tackle Kellen Diesch.

Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.

Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Visit link:

Local product Tyler Johnson looking forward to one last hurrah with his teammates in Las Vegas Bowl - The Arizona Republic