Clemson CB Target Commits to Auburn During Official Visit

A former Alabama commit has made his collegiate decision earlier than expected, and before Clemson could even get him on campus for an official visit.

Clemson misses on a three-star CB, with him choosing Auburn over the Tigers and four others while on an official visit. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Clemson and its staff are busy hosting 30 prospects on official visits for its annual big recruiting weekend, a defensive target has come off the program's board earlier than expected.

On Sunday afternoon, cornerback Nash Johnson III announced his commitment to Auburn, choosing the Tigers over Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee, as first reported by On3's Hayes Fawcett. 

He was originally scheduled to commit on July 1, but saw enough while on his official visit to commit on the spot.

Johnson is rated a three-star prospect and ranks as the No. 542 overall player, the No. 55 player at his position and the No. 62 player in the state of Georgia, according to the Rivals Industry.

BREAKING: Class of 2027 CB Nash Johnson has Committed to Auburn, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’1 175 CB from Atlanta, GA was previously committed to Alabama

“Watch me work🦅. #WDE”https://t.co/UaJUIihB76 pic.twitter.com/A9ceeHqQjf

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 31, 2026

While the 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back has long been projected to land with the Tigers, earning expert predictions from Auburn Insider Christian Clemente in March and from On3's Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong just two weeks ago, his path to this point has been anything but straightforward.

Johnson set the tone for his recruitment last summer, when he received his first offer from Alabama after a successful summer camp performance. He then received nearly 10 offers, including one from Auburn, over the next four months before committing to the Crimson Tide during the first week of October.

The prominence and attention the offer received led multiple other Power Four programs to extend him offers in the coming days, including Georgia, Miami, Florida, Tulane and North Carolina. Ahead of the spring period, multiple other programs hopped on his offer sheet, such as Texas, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Arkansas. 

Johnson would go on to take unofficial visits to Auburn (twice), Florida and Georgia Tech before realizing he had made his decision too early, which ultimately led to his decommitment from Alabama in the first week of April. He would then visit Auburn once again, a week and a half later, before Clemson hosted him for an unofficial visit in the first week of May, a visit that resulted in an offer.

While the Tigers gained some steam on his recruiting trail, emerging as a top six school for the three-star talent and replacing Tennessee's official visit slot, it always looked like Auburn would be his landing destination. He even took an unofficial visit to the school just two weeks before his official visit this weekend. 

With Clemson now out of the picture for Johnson, only defensive linemen prospects will fill the June 12-14 official visit slots aside from three-star linebacker Tyson Washington.

The only other cornerback target remaining on the board is three-star Bryant Robinson, who is currently on an official visit with Clemson and has been predicted to land with the Tigers by multiple experts for the past few months now.

Beyond Robinson, though, several defensive back targets are still in play. Four-star Jayden Aparicio-Bailey is also on an official visit with the program and placed Clemson in his top five last month. Four-star Ta'Shawn Poole is likewise on campus for his official visit, with the Tigers making his top six. Former Clemson commit Seth Williams is also visiting and has the program in his updated top six.

The committed defensive backs joining them on official visits this weekend are four-star Jarrell Chandler, three-star Harrison Luke and three-star Christian Chancellor Jr.