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Here’s Johnny: Illini’s Newton poised to be B1G’s top defensive player in 2023
By Alex Hickey
Published:
INDIANAPOLIS — One day, young Jer’Zhan Newton went to grade school and became Johnny.
It was a classic case of miscommunication. He went by “Zhan” or “Zhanny” at home, and naturally a classmate interpreted that as “Johnny.”
Newton decided his classmate maybe had a point.
“It fits me,” Newton said. “As I grew older, it grew with me. It doesn’t correlate or nothing with my real name. But I like it. So I just go with it.”
And really, who is to stop him from just going with it? And for that matter, who is to stop Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton from doing much of anything?
On the field, the 6-2, 295-pound Newton is the most unstoppable defensive lineman in the Big Ten. And there’s a very good chance he’ll prove to be the 2023 Big Ten defensive player of the year — even given the challenges of racking up gaudy stats as a down lineman in a 3-4 defense.
“I think anything’s possible, honestly,” Newton said. “I know what’s coming my way. But I’m never like ‘Damn, I can’t do that.’
“I’ve just got to find a way to beat [blockers] and get to that next level. I don’t wany anybody to have the upper hand on me. I’m trying to find ways to maneuver myself to get to those different levels.”
It doesn’t hurt that Newton has a little help from a big friend.
The Law Firm
Newton isn’t the only future pro along Illinois’ 3-man front. There’s also 6-5, 305-pound menace Keith Randolph Jr.
Newton and Randolph tied for the team lead with 13 tackles for loss last season and earned a nickname from Bret Bielema in the process.
“In a press conference I called them ‘The Law Firm’ because I like the jingle of Newton and Randolph,” said Bielema, who should evidently consider poetry as a side hustle.
The label for the duo stuck in the twin towns of Champaign-Urbana. Together, they represent the best defensive tandem to play at Illinois since defensive end Simeon Rice and linebacker Kevin Hardy, who were both selected in the top 3 of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Though Newton and Randolph are lumped together, their games are quite different.
“They get lumped together because of their position, and their personalities are huge,” Bielema said. “But they’re really two different types of players.
“Keith’s a little bit longer, a little more athletic. He has the ability to create some movement. Johnny’s very impactful, strong, direct.”
Those differences carry over off the field.
Newton became a father 2 days before last year’s game at Michigan, and nothing has been the same since.
“I felt like I matured literally the next day,” Newton said. “Having a game literally 2 days afterward was a real eye-opener for me. I had a lot of ripping and running to do going from the suburbs of Chicago back to Champaign, going to Michigan, back to Champaign, back to the suburbs.
“I just felt like my life purpose changed drastically. Now I have to put food on the table for somebody other than me.
“It’s very tiring being a parent, student and athlete, but I love every second of it and being with my daughter. Even on my worst days at football or school I go home and see my daughter and that will go out the window.”
Uncle Keith, on the other hand, is still very much a college guy. When asked if Randolph is ready to babysit, Newton’s laugh said all that needed to be said.
“Ready to babysit? Probably not,” Newton said. “He’d probably have my daughter doing TikTok dances. I think he has some training to go through before we could let him do that.”
Even if Randolph’s not yet babysitting material, Newton credits his linemate for helping him come out of his shell. And that’s a pretty big deal.
“I’ve never been the social-type person. Keith is the guru like that,” Newton said. “So, I benefit from being around a person like that a lot. I probably wouldn’t have the success I have now.”
Pick your poison
Perhaps the only thing worse than changing diapers is facing double teams. And Newton’s done plenty of both.
“I love having 1-on-1s. That will show you who the man really is,” Newton said. “Anybody can double-team and look like an all-star because you’re double-teaming somebody. When we have those 1-on-1 situations, we know it’s time to get after it.”
Obviously, Newton isn’t in those situations as frequently as he’d wish.
“I was doubled for pass rush a lot. Even more as I got recognized by Pro Football Focus,” Newton said. “And this year I’m sure I’ll probably even get triple-teamed.”
Newton figures opponents who choose such a path are doing so at their own peril.
“I know if somebody’s dominating me, the nose guard or Keith is free,” Newton said. “I trust those guys to the point that they can dominate whoever is in front of them to get to the running back or quarterback.
“It’s either double-team me or double-team him. It’s the best of both worlds. If I get doubled, I know he’s going to work. If he’s getting doubled, I’m going to work. We each play in one another’s favor.”
Most teams struggled with that dilemma last season. Illinois led the nation in scoring defense and finished second in yards per play allowed.
It’ll be tough to run it back without defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, who is now Purdue’s head coach. Or cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who was drafted fifth overall.
But with the law firm up front, Illinois will still have one of the Big Ten’s saltiest defenses in 2023.
“Both have an extremely high football intelligence,” Bielema said. “I’ve coached D-line for a long time. Their football IQ is at a high level for D-linemen.
“Most D-linemen just line up: ‘Put me here. Let me stay here. Don’t move me.’ Not them.”
Alex Hickey is an award-winning writer who has watched Big Ten sports since it was a numerically accurate description of league membership. Alex has covered college football and basketball since 2008, with stops on the McNeese State, LSU and West Virginia beats before being hired as Saturday Tradition's Big Ten columnist in 2021. He is an Illinois native and 2004 Indiana University graduate.