This Clemson Tigers transfer addition has received an eye-opening outlook for 2026.
The Clemson Tigers have certainly been busy in the transfer portal this offseason, representing a pretty significant deviation from the norm for head coach Dabo Swinney.
But clearly, after going just 7-6 this past year and hearing incessant criticism about his lack of transfer portal usage, Swinney has decided to change his strategy.
One of the most interesting pieces Clemson has landed in the portal is running back Chris Johnson Jr., who spent last season with SMU and actually began his career playing two years for Miami.
With the Tigers losing Adam Randall to the NFL Draft, they will definitely need a backfield boost heading into 2026, and Johnson could be the answer.
In fact, ESPN's Tom Luginbill has ranked Johnson 14th among his top 15 transfer fits of the winter.
"Johnson is a home run threat and one of the fastest players in college football," Luginbill wrote. "Clemson's offense lacked a dynamic speedster at running back and struggled to run the ball consistently in 2025, with Adam Randall developing into more of a power runner."
Chris Johnson Jr. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.Johnson registered 479 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in 2025, averaging a hefty 7.1 yards per carry. He also logged 17 catches for 180 yards and a score.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fl. native did not receive much playing time over his first couple of seasons with the Hurricanes, so this past year was the first time Johnson received enough touches to really judge his performance.
He was certainly impressive, and obviously, his production caught the eye of Clemson, a school that, outside of Travis Etienne Jr., has never really been known for producing elite running back talent.
"His explosive play rate was among the best in college football," Luginbill added of Johnson. "New offensive coordinator Chad Morris will highlight Johnson's versatility, speed and ball skills."
It will certainly be interesting to see how Johnson — who is entering his redshirt junior campaign — is used, especially with Gideon Davidson prepping for a much larger role in 2026.
Clemson is definitely looking to bounce back after a rough season, as it just posted its worst record since going 6-7 in 2010.