MADISON - When it comes to replacing Matt Henningsen, who is now with the Denver Broncos, Rodas Johnson will have direct insight into his thought process.

Upon exiting the program, Henningsen left his notebook with a post-it note on it. The message had a drawing of a stick figure with a belly on it. "Rodas" was written across the note.

"Obviously I wanted to last year but I had Hen Dog (Henningsen) in front of me, and that was a blessing to see him do what he did," Johnson said of his starting role. "I still have his notebook to this day, so I look through his notes to understand what he was thinking. Just to see what he was able to do - and see where he’s at now - obviously gives me motivation.

"It shows me that it’s possible."

Johnson's spot atop the depth chart as a starting defensive end comes after flashing throughout spring and fall camp. Particularly during an Aug. 13 practice, Johnson got in the backfield a trio of times to blow up a run, a screen play and got in the backfield for what would have been a sack.

"He’s got more things to clean up but when he’s hot, when he’s on, he’s a big problem for teams in the run game and how active he is in the pass game," defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said after the practice. "He’s definitely made big improvements and he sees opportunity.

"Obviously he got that taste last year of getting a decent amount of snaps, and he’s a guy that doesn’t want to leave the field. It’s really fun to watch guys like that continue to grow."

The growth in his game is something the fourth-year defensive lineman attributes to his grasp of the playbook. Johnson's physical tools have always been there. Now he's letting it loose.

"It was definitely the mental aspect for me," Johnson said of where he's grown. "I could always play football and I always had the athletic ability to do so, but I just wanted to understand the game better so I can play the game freely and play faster."

Keeanu Benton, Johnson's roommate the last two years, can't help but notice that leap from his classmate. He's taken ownership of the playbook and become vocal in meetings.

"Those boys been studying the playbook. Learning the playbook with me and Nick (Herbig)," Benton mentioned. "We’re learning outside linebacker, they’re learning nose guard, and that’s just helped change their game so much for both of them.

"Before a coach would ask a question and everybody is quiet. Trying to get an answer from James (Thompson) and Rodas, and now you can’t get them to shut up. They answer everything. I think that’s the biggest jump they’ve made in becoming better players."

The duo came in together as part of the 2019 recruiting class - Benton, a former three-star recruit, and Johnson, a four-star talent. That kind of competition led them to believe their personalities would clash. Now, their families go to games together and they call each other best friends.

For Johnson, his goal was to become more technically against the run. His athletic traits are on full display when he's allowed to rush passer. He wants to carry that level of success over to stopping the run.

"He’s grown. He’s a guy that’s high energy, high motor," Leonhard said. "He’s going to be productive because of how hard he plays. His only weakness is a little bit of the consistency and sometimes not trying to do too much. Sometimes doing your job is all you need to do."

Playing the fifth-most snaps along the defensive line a season ago, Johnson should see a significant bump in his playing time. His performance in fall camp provided a glimpse of what kind of burst he can add to a group that has consistently performed well against the run.

"He’s absolutely becoming consistent in his technique and he flashes everyday," Leonhard said. "He shows you something every day that gives you something to be excited about. If he can eliminate some things here and there, he’ll be on the field a ton."

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