After speaking with a Sunshine State product, The Clemson Insider has identified a new running back target for Clemson in the 2023 recruiting class.
Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller first got in touch with Christopher Johnson, Jr. a couple of weeks ago. The big-time running back prospect out of Florida’s Dillard High School — a former Rutgers University commit, who recently reopened his recruitment — has been in constant contact with Spiller.
They talk to each other just about every day and have been going back-and-forth about the Grizzlies-Warriors series in the second round of the NBA playoffs. They chatted with each other this morning about Memphis’ 134-95 victory over Golden State Wednesday night.
“I’ve been talking to Coach Spiller for like this past week,” Johnson said. “We’ve just been bonding and getting to know each other. We talk about a lot of things outside of football, it’s not just about football with him. He asks me about personal things, like my family and things like that.”
“That’s big because he played in the league,” Johnson said when asked about potentially playing for a College Football Hall of Famer. “I know that if I go to Clemson, I could learn a lot of things and he could teach me certain things that I would’ve never learned. So, that’s big for me.”
According to Johnson, Spiller will be coming down to Dillard to watch his spring game next week. Johnson is confident that he’ll be able to earn an offer from the Tigers once Spiller is able to see what he can do.
“That would be a big piece for my recruitment,” he said regarding a potential Clemson offer.
While the two haven’t talked about Johnson coming up to Clemson for a visit, he imagines that conversation will be had after Spiller sees him in action. Johnson knows that he’s going to visit Clemson this summer, but there’s not a set date at the moment.
Johnson was committed to Rutgers for about a month. He wanted to open things back up as he evaluated his options going forward. In addition to Clemson, Johnson mentions schools like Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia and Louisville as the schools currently recruiting him the hardest.
Right now, Johnson is in the process of taking his visits this summer and made sure to tell us that he plans on making Clemson one of his official visits. He plans on making two official visits during the summer and likely the rest during the season.
In all likelihood, Johnson will commit after the end of his senior season.
With that being said, what are going to be some of the more important factors that he sifts through when it’s time to make that decision?
“I’m gonna be looking for a school where I can see the field early and where I’m gonna play at,” Johnson said. “Just good chemistry with my position coach. I need a home, like a home where I fit now, I need a home where I can produce.”
Talking about Johnson and his game, he describes himself as a self-motivated running back, who has a unique blend of speed and change of direction.
“I just feel like I’m one of a kind,” he said. “There’s not too many people that can do what I do.”
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