Following Jeremiah Cobb’s commitment to Auburn University, Clemson made the expected move of offering rising senior three-star running back Christopher Johnson, Jr.
Johnson, who hails from Fort Lauderdale’s (Fla.) High School told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview last week that he knew that the offer was coming, so when running backs coach CJ Spiller phoned him with the good news on Wednesday, July 6, it didn’t come as much of a surprise.
Johnson, who recently included Clemson in his top six schools, which also features Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, was in Tiger Town earlier this summer.
“The campus was lovely,” Johnson said. “That’s probably the best campus I’ve been on. I had a good time with Coach Spiller. He showed me around. I learned a lot while I was up there. I could see myself there.”
Johnson said it felt good getting to meet Clemson’s running backs coach in person. Spiller had been down to Dillard to watch Johnson during the live evaluation period, but this was, obviously, different.
“You know, I never really met a guy like that,” Johnson said of Spiller.
Johnson is intrigued by the success that Spiller has had at all levels and the opportunity he would have to learn from a guy like that.
The former Rutgers pledge has seen his recruitment just completely take off since walking back his commitment to the Scarlet Knights. Johnson decommitted from Rutgers on the same day he picked up an offer from the University of Georgia.
In addition to his Clemson offer, he has since added schools like Tennessee, Louisville, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Oregon, Michigan, UCF, Mizzou, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Miami, Florida, Penn State, Jackson State, Utah Ole Miss, N.C. State, North Carolina and Alabama, on his offer list.
He visited all the schools that are in his top six, except for Texas A&M and Florida State.
Johnson said that he will be taking an official visit to Clemson and imagines that might happen for a game day sometime this upcoming season.
Before making his eventual college decision, Johnson told us that he would like to take all five of his official visits, with most of them taking place during the season.
“I wanna go somewhere where I’m gonna produce early,” Johnson said when asked what he’s looking for in a school at the next level. “I want to get on the field right away and I want to have a good relationship with my running backs coach, my head coach and all the position coaches — I want to have a good connection with them. Chemistry is everything, that’s big for me. Having a bond and just being on a winning team.”
— Photo for this article courtesy of @christopherj6_ on Instagram.
Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
