Clemson made a lot of moves in the transfer portal addressing the defense this offseason, but there wasn’t much added on the offensive side of the ball.

However, the Tigers’ big transfer addition on offense is an impact player – SMU transfer running back Chris Johnson Jr. Head coach Dabo Swinney wanted someone capable of making an immediate impact, as well as a back that offered something different from some of the other running backs on the roster.

While Johnson is in the process of learning new Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris’ offense, like the other running backs, Morris likes what he’s seen early on in spring ball from Johnson – one of the fastest backs in the country, if not the fastest.

“So far, for two days, he along with the rest of them, like I said, they’re learning. There’s a huge learning curve right now,” Morris said following Friday’s practice.

“He’s got great hands. I think he’s dynamic with the ball in space, and a young man that’s very hungry, just like the rest of them. But that’s one thing I’ve noticed about him, is extremely hungry.”

Johnson spent his first three college seasons in the ACC, playing 16 games at Miami from 2023-24 and then 12 at SMU in 2025. The 6-foot, 185-pounder rushed 84 times for 583 yards with five touchdowns, caught 26 passes for 254 yards with three touchdowns, and returned 22 kickoffs for 522 yards across those three seasons.

In 2025, Johnson finished third on SMU in rushing attempts (67) and second in rushing yards (479) and rushing touchdowns (four), while adding 17 catches for 180 yards with a receiving touchdown. In SMU’s 35-24 win at Clemson on Oct. 18, he rushed six times for 59 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 40 yards.

A former four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Johnson lettered at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he was also one of the state’s premier sprinters. He won Florida’s 3A state title in the 100-meter dash (10.45) and 200-meter dash (20.78) as a junior and anchored a 4×100 team that captured gold during his sophomore year.

So, how does Clemson plan to use the speedster this season?

Morris says Johnson can be a versatile guy the Tigers could move around the field and get the ball in his hands different ways, similar to how Miami uses wide receiver Malachi Toney, who earned 2025 ACC Rookie of the Year honors and was a first-team All-ACC selection this past season.

“Absolutely. That’s our job as coaches is to identify who the 11 best guys we’ve got, and let’s get them on the field and let’s figure the best way to get them the ball,” Morris said. “And if CJ’s one of those guys, then let’s do it. Does he have a unique skill set? Absolutely he does. But there’s also some other guys out there that have the same unique skill set, too.

“But we have to strain those guys and we’ve got to put them in tough, adverse situations to see how they respond. And at the end of the day, put the best 11 out there and let’s get ready to go. Now, obviously you’ve got to have some backups, too. But yeah, it’s getting your guys in space.”

Morris pointed out that Clemson deployed guys like Martavis Bryant, Charone Peake and Sammy Watkins in different ways, when Morris was previously the offensive coordinator for the Tigers (2011-14).

“I think you go back and look at some of the stuff we’ve done with other guys, bringing them on and off the field, from a Martavis Bryant to Charone [Peake] and those guys – we tried to put those guys in different situations,” Morris said. “Heck, we’d line Sammy Watkins up in the backfield.”