Former Northwestern Quarterback Hunter Johnson is Transferring Back to Clemson

Johnson is returning to where his college football career began down in Death Valley, he announced Monday.

Northwestern quarterback and captain Hunter Johnson, who started his college career with the Clemson Tigers back in 2017, is headed back to the ACC as a graduate transfer for the upcoming 2022 season after appearing in just three games for the Wildcats this year. 

Notably, Johnson is the first player taken by Clemson from the NCAA transfer portal, a rare feat for the Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney. 

According to the Chicago Tribune, Johnson said he reached out to Swinney regarding the possibility of becoming a graduate assistant coach for the team, when Swinney presented a counteroffer: a spot on the roster. The Tribune went on to report that Swinney sees Johnson helping out the young Clemson quarterbacks in D.J. Ugalelei and an incoming 5-star prospect. 

Johnson announced he would be entering the transfer portal on January 12, after four years in Evanston. 

In his time with the Wildcats, Johnson appeared in 11 games, racking up 856 passing yards, completing 95 of 183 attempts for a 52% completion percentage. He also tallied five touchdowns and eight interceptions. 

With the outgoing transfer of Clemson's backup QB Taisun Phommachanh, Johnson has the opportunity to fill a potential gap for the Tigers as he heads back town to where it all started. 

In his freshman year with Clemson, Johnson appeared in seven games and went 21-27 for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

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