Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze received the news he was hoping for on defensive end C.J. Johnson Wednesday.
According to the school, the Rebels' sack leader from last season has been cleared by the NCAA, which was checking into whether his mother received impermissible benefits in the form of free furniture.
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal had previously reported that the NCAA twice contacted the owner of Byars Furniture of Philadelphia, Miss., about whether the store had delivered furniture to Johnson's mother.
Johnson (6-3, 230) is undersized to play defensive end in the NFL, but the junior's pass rush skills are formidable enough that he could project as a linebacker in the pros.
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