Thomas Johnson holds the DOG · Starter spot in Cincinnati Bearcats’s dog room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Thomas Johnson is a 6'3", 250-pound defensive end from Lawndale, CA who transfers to Cincinnati as a redshirt senior. At North Carolina Central, Johnson appeared in 10 games during his 2022 debut, recording eight tackles and 1.5 sacks. He played all 12 games in 2023, finishing with 24 tackles, 4.0 for loss, and 2.0 sacks. Johnson appeared in three games in 2024 while redshirting, tallying 11 tackles and four sacks. In 2025, he earned First-Team All-MEAC honors and Honorable Mention BOXTOROW HBCU All-American recognition, posting 49 tackles, 18.0 for loss, and 12 sacks—seventh nationally at the FCS level—with 14 QB hurries across 12 games played.

North Carolina Centralthrough 2025

Cincinnati2026 — present