Ole Miss needs linebackers in the worst way, so even after landing commitments from a trio of ‘backers (including blue-chip early enrollee Breon Dixon), three-star Thomas Johnston was an important target for the Rebels. The leading tackler in Alabama high school history and a top-25 outside linebacker prospect was thought to be choosing between Ole Miss, Arkansas and Iowa.
Which is why it came as a surprise on Tuesday morning when Johnston publicly committed to UAB, a school that’s spent the last two years without a football program. After shuttering its doors in 2015, the Blazers will be making a return to the field next season.