DT rehabbing ACL

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Auburn defensive tackle signee Jauntavius Johnson recorded 84 tackles for Lincoln (Ala.) High last season. He forced a fumble, recovered one and even had a 1-yard touchdown run.

He did the majority of it with a torn ACL.

Johnson, who committed to Auburn in August, suffered the injury to his right knee during the Bears' third game of the season, a 37-32 win at Alexandria.

"I got chop-blocked," Johnson said. "They went high-low on me."

Lincoln went on to play 12 games in 2014, won seven and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs. Despite the early-season injury, Johnson played a big part in the Bears' late-season success.

"I could still play on it," Johnson said. "It didn't affect me much."

Johnson had surgery to repair the torn ligament in late November, the week following the Bear's season-ending loss on the 14th. He's been rehabbing since surgery at least three times a week.

"Rehab is going good," Johnson said. "I'd say I'm probably 65-75 percent back. I squatted 405 (pounds) the other day."

Johnson, now 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, is scheduled to report to Auburn on May 24. He'll immediately begin rehabbing with the Tigers' medical staff and the number of times he receives treatment will increase substantially.

His weekly numbers now will be his daily numbers then.

"He only gets to go to rehab three or four times a week right now," Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. "If he was on campus, he'd be going three or four times a day and that's the thing that you really hate. But we'll get him here and get him going on our rehab program and see where we get him to."

Johnson's goal is to be 100 percent when fall camp starts in August.

"We'll see," Johnson said. "That's what I'm working for."

Johnson, like the majority of the 2015 signees, will be in Auburn on Saturday for the Tigers' spring game.