Dillard star RB Chris Johnson explains ‘what’s going to determine’ whether he picks Miami
Christopher Johnson has narrowed his college choices down to the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels as he gets closer to making a commitment.
The Fort Lauderdale Dillard star is agonizing about his decision — “I’m really bumping heads with those two schools right now,” as he put it — and expects to make one sometime around midseason.
The little wait is important, he said. Miami, the hometown team and long a favorite for the four-star prospect, has yet to play a game with Mario Cristobal at the helm and Josh Gattis running the offense. Johnson knows what he’s going to get if he goes to Ole Miss; he’s still waiting to see exactly how he’d fit in with these new-look Hurricanes.
“That’s what’s going to determine if I go there. I want to see what they do, how they’re going to come out,” said Johnson, who’s the No. 27 running back in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2023. “I’m waiting until they play like Clemson, A&M. I’ll see what they do against A&M.”
Johnson was a fixture in Coral Gables throughout the spring and summer, taking about half a dozen unofficial visits to Miami after the Hurricanes offered him a scholarship in May. He was also just in Mississippi, too, and spent Saturday in Oxford for an unofficial visit with the Rebels a few days after the dead period ended.
With Ole Miss, Johnson has already seen how coach Lane Kiffin uses speedy, versatile tailbacks like him. With Miami, Johnson knows how Gattis has done it at past stops — most recently when he was the Michigan Wolverines’ offensive coordinator last year — but he’s still waiting to see it in action in September.
The Hurricanes’ place near the top of Johnson’s list, however, does come down to some of what Gattis has told him. Johnson is a 5-foot-11, 178-pound athlete, with the ability to contribute at halfback and wide receiver, and a couple of Florida High School Athletic Association championships in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Gattis loves scheming up offense for these types of playmakers — Michigan had three players last year with at least 100 rushing and receiving yards, and wide receiver A.J. Henning even ran for 162 — and he outlined his vision for Johnson during a recent visit.
“Miami really got up there a little bit more because they showed me the scheme. Coach Gattis showed me how he’s going to use me,” Johnson said. “I feel like Miami’s got it on the level of how they’re going to use me on the field, but I know that Coach Kiffin is going to get me the ball, so, like I said, it’s going to be a tough decision.”
Last season, Johnson ran for 856 yards and 15 touchdowns, and earned second-team all-Broward County honors from the Miami Herald. He was also the Herald’s Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year for Broward after he ran the 100 dash in 10.45 seconds at the Class 3A championship, and the 200 in 20.78 to win gold in both events.
His track times, in particular, have helped make him one of South Florida’s fastest-rising recruits in the last few months, securing additional scholarship offers from the Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies since the start of May. The Florida State Seminoles also made his top six, announced last month.
The Hurricanes and Rebels have separated themselves, though. Those two are recruiting Johnson the hardest and the senior feels both are good fits for what he’s prioritizing.
“I want to go somewhere where I’m going to be able to produce early, have a good coaching staff that’s going to produce me and get better at the next level,” Johnson said. “Like I said, both of those schools are good, so it’s going to be a tough decision ... like what’s the best decision for me home-wise and what I’m going to do there.
“Whatever decision I make, I’m going to fully go with that. There ain’t no second-guessing.”
