College Football World Reacts To Clemson Transfer News

Dabo Swinney is doing his best to reload after a disappointing season for his Clemson Tigers in 2021. He made his latest addition through the transfer portal, bringing back a former member of the program on Monday.

According to 247Sports, former five-star recruit Hunter Johnson has transferred back to Clemson. After three seasons at Northwestern, the highly touted high school quarterback will return to the Tigers for his sixth and final year of eligibility.

Johnson, a 2017 commit, lasted just one season at Clemson before transferring to Northwestern. After sitting out in 2018, he then played for the Wildcats for three years, appearing in 11 games and throwing for 856 passing yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

He’ll now return to Clemson as Swinney’s first major transfer portal pickup this offseason.

The college football world was shocked to see Johnson’s name pop back up in connection with the Tigers on Monday. Many were unsure what to make of Clemson’s latest addition.

Johnson explained that he originally reached out to Swinney to see if he had any grad assistant spots open. At that point, the Clemson head coach checked with the quarterback to see if he had any eligibility remaining.

“I initially reached out to Coach Swinney to honestly see if he had any GA spots,” Johnson told 247Sports. “My girlfriend we went to Clemson together and we been looking at going back down South and reached out to him about GAing because I wanted to get my MBA. I reached out to him and he asked if I had my sixth year because of Covid and I told him I still did. It wasn’t really my intention initially of calling him. It was pretty exciting and I took a day or so to think over things and it felt like it was a great situation for me and her all around and just being able to go finish my sixth year and play at a place I’ve grown to love over the years and be part of the room. That’s what he told me, he wants to have somebody in the room who’s older who’s had some experience in college football and the fact I already been there and been in the system and know the system helps even more. He thought it would be a really really cool situation.”

Johnson will join a crowded Clemson quarterback room filled with 2021 starter D.J. Uiagalelei, five-star incoming freshman Cade Klubnik and walk-on Hunter Helms. Time will tell what role he carves out for himself in his final college football season.

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