First Offensive Transfer Commits to Clemson Tigers

It took more than a full week, but the Clemson Tigers finally picked up an offensive piece through the transfer portal, picking up SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr. on Sunday. It was reported by On3's Hayes Fawcett.

BREAKING: SMU transfer RB Chris Johnson Jr. has Committed to Clemson, he tells @On3Sports

He’s one of the fastest players in all of college footballhttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/h2XON8292I
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 11, 2026

After being on campus this past weekend, head coach Dabo Swinney locked in a player at a skill position, which wasn’t on his radar for a majority of the period before Johnson entered the transfer portal on Jan. 5.

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native will have two years of eligibility remaining at Clemson.

A former Miami transfer as well, Johnson finished with 659 total yards of offense for SMU in 2025, recording five total touchdowns. The transfer brings tremendous speed to the table, also being an option for returning kicks, which he did with the Mustangs, in 2026.

The Tigers faced Johnson at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 18, and it could be the reason why Clemson wanted him in the portal. Johnson finished with 99 total yards in the game and a rushing touchdown, helping the Mustangs to a 35-24 win inside Death Valley.

According to On3, the 5-foot-11, 169-pound tailback is the No. 81-ranked running back in the transfer portal. He is a three-star prospect.

Johnson enters a running back room that lost its starter, Adam Randall, to being out of eligibility. It looks to be a three-horse race between him, Gideon Davidson and David Eziomume to get the start at the position come September. However, don’t be surprised if new offensive coordinator Chad Morris decides to blend all three into the run game, allowing him to have a committee compared to a typical bell-cow tailback.

The move could perhaps come from a lack of running backs from a depth standpoint. Former Tiger Keith Adams Jr. also entered the transfer portal in December, meaning the fill could be for his spot.

Coming out of high school, Johnson was a four-star recruit. He chose the Miami Hurricanes over schools like Georgia and Ole Miss. Clemson did give him an offer for the Class of 2023, but he decided to go to another ACC team.

After murmurings of Johnson being on campus being revealed on Saturday, he received a crystal ball to the Tigers that afternoon, being predicted by Clemson247’s Cory Fravel.

While it is uncertain if more players on offense will be coming through the portal, Swinney hopes it begins a domino effect of more players coming in on that side of the ball. Johnson is the team’s tenth transfer pickup of the cycle.

Follow along with all of the pickups and departures with Clemson football on Clemson Tigers on SI’s transfer portal tracker.