Clemson’s Chris Johnson Jr. came into the offseason with a clear message waiting for him, and he’s apparently delivered on it.
After Dabo Swinney pushed the SMU transfer to reshape his body before the 2026 season, Johnson says he hit a new personal mark in speed over the summer, clocking a 4.28 40-meter time. By his own admission, it’s the fastest he’s ever run that event, and it puts him just .07 seconds behind Kansas City Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy, who most recently broke the record at the NFL Combine.
Johnson pointed to the Tigers’ strength and conditioning work, especially new strength coach Dennis Love, as a big reason for the jump.
“Just really coming in here, training with D-Love and all the strength staff, they just help me with my speed every day,” he said on Monday evening. “Just getting better and pouring into the things that need to be poured into.”
The challenge from Swinney went beyond conditioning. Johnson said the Clemson coach wanted him to take college more seriously when he first arrived, and the back believes he responded in a way that could keep his career on track.
“I took it on real heavy, like right now, it’s now or never for me,” he said. “I got two years left, so it was a challenge for me, and I felt like that’s what I needed to do, so I took it head-on.”
That buy-in also came from Johnson’s belief in the coach leading the program.
“Like, who wouldn’t want to come here and play for Coach Swinney?” Johnson added.
“Like, all the things that he’s done, like this is a championship program. Who wouldn’t want to come here and play for him and have his back?”
With Chad Morris now running Clemson’s offense and bringing a tempo-heavy approach for 2026, Johnson’s speed should fit right into the plan. Even so, he said the adjustment has been real for everyone, including him.
“It’s tough. Like I just said, it’s tempo, like it’s a change of speed for the game, but I feel like we’ve been doing it since the spring, it’s new for everybody,” Johnson said.
“So, as camp goes on, it’s what, day four? So, we haven’t been on the field like that during the summer.”
“ I feel like as camp goes on and days stack up, we’ll get better at it.”
In Other News...
Dabo Swinney's Challenge Put Clemson's Backfield Focus On One Key Thing
Chris Johnson Jr. arrived at Clemson with a fresh opportunity and a clear message from Dabo Swinney: the next step would have to come through his day-to-day approach as much as anything he showed on the field. The transfer from SMU and Miami is in the mix for a lead-back role, and with two years of eligibility left, his fit in the Tigers backfield carries real weight as Clemson looks to sharpen its rushing attack this season.
Johnsons response has been the important part, because the Tigers need more than talent in that spot. His progress and attitude are being watched closely inside the program, and how he handles Swinneys challenge could shape both his own rise and the tone of Clemsons running game if he can turn that commitment into production. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Swinneys Clemson Message Says Everything About This Teams Pressure
Fall camp is underway for Clemson, and Dabo Swinney spent his Aug. 11 news conference striking a familiar tone: plenty of work remains before anyone starts drawing firm conclusions. With the Tigers trying to move past a 7-6 season and a fourth-place ACC preseason poll ranking, the coach leaned into the idea that practice progress is only part of the story. Clemson does have some preseason All-ACC talent back in the mix, but Swinney made it clear the roster still has to prove itself once the games begin.
Swinney also avoided turning the conversation into a list of individual standouts, preferring to keep the focus on the team as a whole and the competition still unfolding around it. For Clemson, that message lands with extra weight because this is not a program being judged on promise alone anymore. The Tigers open with LSU in 2026, and between now and then every bit of camp buzz will be measured against a season that needs to show Clemson is more than just a name in the preseason conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Linebacker Battle Is Narrowing Behind Sammy Brown
Fall camp has already started to sort out Clemsons linebacker picture behind Sammy Brown, and Dabo Swinney sounded encouraged by the way the group is coming together. The Tigers have been sorting through a position that still has some moving parts, but the head coach said the depth is there and that the competition is giving the staff a clearer read as the 2026 season approaches.
Jeremiah Alexander and Kobe McCloud have started to create some separation in that battle, giving Clemson a pair of names to watch as the group takes shape. Swinney also pointed to a deeper mix that includes Drew Woodaz, Fletcher Cothran, C.J. Kubah-Taylor, Logan Anderson and Brayden Reilly, which suggests the room still has plenty of candidates trying to force their way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]