Firmly in the mix for Junior
By: rmacrae@bellsouth.net January 21, 2015

By Hale McGranahan.

Before he wanted his quarterback to just give him the damn ball, Keyshawn Johnson made a name for himself as a standout wide receiver at Southern Cal.

Now retired from the game, the former No. 1 overall pick by the New York Jets, spends his time working as an analyst for ESPN. He also has a son, Keyshawn Jr., who’s one of the top 2017 wide receivers in the country.

The Johnsons visited Clemson last April for spring practice then returned in November for the South Carolina game.

“That was a great environment. The fans were crazy. The Clemson fans are amazing, the whole environment,” the younger Johnson said, during a recent interview with TheClemsonInsider.

“Coach (Dabo) Swinney is a great guy. Jeff Scott, my recruiter, is also really big on being polite. He told me Clemson is for men and you need to be respectful if you want to go here, all that stuff. Coach Swinney told me that if you want to go to Clemson, you have to be different.

“He encouraged me to go visit other schools, but to give him a chance. Clemson is different and you’ll always know that Clemson is different. I don’t know how to explain it, but Clemson is different from all the other schools is basically what he was saying.”

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver from Calabasas High School in Mission Viejo, California has had a close watch on the Clemson program, even though he’s on the other side of the country

“It already was a great program, now (Swinney’s) building it into a great program,” Johnson said. “Ten wins in the last four seasons, they beat Oklahoma, Ohio State and LSU in the bowl game — he’s making it into a legacy. I wouldn’t mind being apart of that at all.”

Johnson, who played in six games as a sophomore, caught 41 passes for close to 600 yards and six touchdowns.

Clemson, Ohio State, Florida State, Tennessee and Miami are among the many schools that have already offered.

Clemson, of course, is firmly in the mix.

“At some point I’ll get back there,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to say I have a list of my top, but Clemson is one that has been recruiting me since I was a freshman and showing me love. I’ve always liked Clemson. I will definitely be back there.”