Pop Dumas-Johnson named to Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List

Expectations are high for Kentucky linebacker Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson entering his debut season in Lexington — and he’s on the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List to prove it.

Coming from Georgia as a two-time national champion in 2021 and 2022, the senior standout suffered a broken left forearm during his ninth start for the Bulldogs last fall. After undergoing surgery to repair the injury in November and missing the remainder of the season, he transferred to Kentucky this past January where he’s projected to lead one of the top defenses in the SEC.

The 6-1, 245-pound inside linebacker from Hyattsville, Maryland was named to the Comeback Player of the Year Watch List by the College Sports Communicators in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.

Playing in 38 career games with 24 consecutive starts, Dumas-Johnson has racked up 126 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. Leading up to his injury in 2023, the standout linebacker totaled 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry, earning a spot on several national watch lists, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award and the Lombardi Award.

He also was selected to the Associated Press Preseason All-America First Team and The Sporting News Preseason All-America First Team following a breakthrough sophomore campaign in Athens where he was a finalist for the Butkus Award and named a First-Team All-American by Sporting News and ESPN.

Returning to action on March 19, Dumas-Johnson participated in Kentucky’s spring practice and is full-go entering the fall.

Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances.  At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Previous winners of the Comeback Player of the Year Award include: 2023 – Blake Corum (Michigan); Jacob Dobbs (Holy Cross); Mike Hollins (Virginia); 2022 – Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota); Laiatu Latu (UCLA); Michael Penix Jr. (Washington); 2021 – Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan); McKenzie Milton (Florida State); J.J. Weaver (Kentucky); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado); Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky); Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State); Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern); Octavion Wilson (Salisbury); 2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth); Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman).

Kentucky is certainly happy to have Dumas-Johnson on its side entering 2024.