For two seasons, the Clemson offense has been a Ferrari mired in a school zone. The Tigers haven’t had that “blink-and-you-miss-him” sort of playmaker who makes a routine check-down into a 70-yard house call. Well, Dabo Swinney went to the grocery store — the Transfer Portal, as it were — and he didn’t just come back with bread and milk. He returned with Chris Johnson Jr.
ESPN recently named the “most important newcomer” for every ACC team, and for Clemson, it was a no-brainer. A transfer from SMU, Johnson is not just some depth piece; he’s the nitro-boost the offense has long called for, since Travis Etienne Jr.