Transfer Back Met Swinney’s Challenge Head-On
By: Jason Priester August 13, 2026

When Dabo Swinney saw transfer running back Chris Johnson Jr. for the first time, the longtime Clemson head coach wasn’t overly impressed.

Swinney was actually very blunt with his new running back.

“I told him, ‘You don’t look like a guy that’s serious about college. You don’t. I’m just being honest with you. You don’t look like a guy who’s been in college a couple years. You look like a guy that ain’t been serious about being great,'” the head coach said earlier this year.

And those were words Johnson took to heart.

The speedy running back took it from there, and with the Tigers just a few short weeks from opening the season in Baton Rouge against LSU, Johnson feels that he might be in the best shape of his collegiate career. And it all started with those words from his new head coach.

“I took it on real heavy,” Johnson said. “I feel like right now is now or never for me. I got two years left. I feel like it was a challenge for me, so I took it head on.”

Running back Chris Johnson practices during Clemson fall camp (Dawson Powers/The Clemson Insider)

Not only is Johnson feeling great physically, but he’s also faster. The 6-foot back was already considered one of the fastest players in the sport, but during the summer, Johnson ran a sub-4.3 forty, and he gives a lot of the credit to new strength coach Dennis Love.

“Just coming in here and training with D Love,” Johnson added. “All the strength staff just helped me every day, just getting better and pouring into the things that needed to be poured into.”

Coming out of high school, Johnson was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. After spending his first two years at Miami, he transferred to SMU, where he spent last season. He had more than 600 rushing and receiving yards combined with the Mustangs, and when SMU traveled to Death Valley last November, Johnson had six carries for 59 yards with one touchdown in the 35-24 win.

Not only has Johnson spent the offseason working on his body, but he’s also been tasked with learning a new offense. With Chad Morris back at the helm for the Tigers, tempo has been a focal point. While there were some adjustments early on, Johnson feels like he’s now starting to settle in regarding what is expected of him in the new scheme.

“I would say it has been tough,” Johnson said. “But we got the hang of it. It’s tempo. It is fast, so everybody has to play fast. It is hot right now, so everybody is trying to get acclimated with the heat, but that is what we run. So, you’ve got to get used to it.”