Since Colorado began competing in the Pac-12 Conference in 2011, only one time in those eight seasons has there been a Buffalo defender to record sacks in the double digits — LB Jimmie Gilbert had 10.5 in 2016, CU's lone winning campaign since joining the Pac-12.

Aside from that, no defender had ever gotten more than 7 sacks until DE Mustafa Johnson got 8.5 last season. Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who now works at Kansas as defensive quality control coach, recorded 7 in 2012 and until Johnson's 2018 campaign, that was the high-water mark for sacks by a CU defender.

In fact, during Colorado's time in the Pac-12, the aforementioned players have been the only players to record more than 6 sacks in a season.

The Buffs will certainly look for that to change this upcoming season. Johnson's first year with CU in 2018 was successful enough to inspire confidence that he's capable of building off that foundation in 2019.

Thus, CUSportsNation humbly predicts that he'll join Gilbert as the second Buffalo to record 10-plus sacks in the Pac-12 Conference Era of CU football.

Johnson is a JuCo product — he came to Colorado after playing his true freshman season at Modesto Community College in central California, where he recorded 6.5 sacks in 11 games played.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and approaching 300 pounds (he was 285 when he got to CU. The Buffaloes list him at 290 but I'm inclined to believe he's closer to 300 here and now), Johnson gave the Buffs a big spark defensively. He ended up playing the most snaps out of any CU d-lineman in 2018.

Johnson will also benefit from working with defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, who has a reputation for bettering teams in the trenches, having effectively done so at Maryland and especially Kentucky, where he oversaw the d-line from 2013-16. During that time, four Wildcat d-linemen earned All-SEC honors.

With experience under his belt and a solid overseer in Brumbaugh, Johnson could be primed and ready to go for a explosive 2019 campaign. The Buffs would certainly be grateful.