CLEMSON — While Clemson made a lot of moves in the transfer portal addressing the defense, there wasn’t much added on the offensive side of the ball. The staff just didn’t believe the Tigers had many holes there.
However, when Keith Adams Jr. decided to transfer out, that did open up a spot at running back, and Dabo Swinney wanted to fill it with an impact player. Not only did Swinney want someone capable of making an immediate impact, but he also wanted a back that offered something a little different from some of the other running backs on the roster.
Enter SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr, arguably the fastest back in the country.
“We had a running back that decided to go on and play somewhere else,” Swinney said. “We had a spot, so let’s get something different. Something different than what we have.”
That’s not to say the Tigers didn’t already have quality backs in the running back room. In fact, with Gideon Davidson and David Eziomume both back and Jay Haynes and Jarvis Green both set to return from injury, Clemson has some quality depth there.
What they didn’t have was elite-level speed, and Johnson adds a true home-run threat to the Tigers’ backfield. He was clocked at 22.3 mph this season. Johnson also won Florida 3A state titles in the 100M and 200M during his high school days.
The staff was already plenty familiar with Johnson, having recruited him hard while he was in high school. Swinney also had discussions with SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee concerning the talented back.
“We went and found CJ,” Swinney added. “We recruited Chris out of high school. He came in here on a visit, so we knew a lot about him. Reached out to Rhett, talked a lot about him.”
Johnson rushed 479 yards and four touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore with the Mustangs in 2025, averaging more than seven yards per carry. He also had 17 catches for another 180 yards and a score. He spent his first two years at Miami after signing with the Hurricanes coming out of high school.
“He is fast, fast,” Swinney said. “He brings a unique skillset. When you talk about threatening horizontally and vertically, he is touchdown fast, meaning if he breaks a tackle, it is a touchdown. If they miss a tackle, it is a touchdown. I think he still has the 200M record in the state of Florida. A really unique guy.”
Photo by Kirby Lee-Imagn Images