COLUMBIA – All Denzel Johnson needed was the test score and grades.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told the three-star athlete that he had to qualify for the fall semester before signing with Clemson’s 2015 class.

No pressure, right?

“It was natural. It wasn’t really a lot of pressure. I knew what I had to do and I knew if I got in the mindset, I could do it. All I had to do was just work hard for it. That’s all I did,” Johnson told TheClemsonInsider, after signing with Clemson on Wednesday morning at AC Flora High School.

Johnson admitted that he put himself behind the 8-ball early on in his high school career.

“I was mad at myself,” he said.

But thanks to the support from his family and coaches, Johnson pulled through with the qualifying numbers.

“It means a lot. It’s a big relief for me that I finally got to sign and put the hat on,” he said.

At Clemson, Johnson could play wide receiver, cornerback or kick returner. The staff hasn’t made a decision on the position.

Wherever he plays, Johnson thinks he’ll fit right in with the program.

“When I went up on the visit, everything just felt like home,” he said. “The coaches, they were all family-oriented. The players, they were the same.”

AC Flora head coach Reggie Shaw credited Johnson for the perseverance he showed over the last several months.

“He worked so hard, had a lot of obstacles in place, but it’s a great moment here,” Shaw said. “Never give up. Never give up hope. It takes a lot of people along the way, but if you continue to work hard, you can make things happen for you.

“I think the best has yet to come.