Northwestern lands coveted WR CJ Johnson on signing day
Northwestern added a big dose of speed and playmaking ability to its 2021 class on National Signing Day when coveted athlete Calvin "C.J." Johnson announced his decision to play for head coach Pat Fitzgerald on Facebook.
And the Wildcats had to beat out an impressive list of schools to do land him. Johnson had collected a deluge of offers from the likes of Florida State, Iowa and Ole Miss in recent weeks, and chose the Wildcats over finalists Penn State, Duke, TCU and Vanderbilt.
He said that he became a Wildcat because no one else could match Northwestern's combination of elite academics and football.
"The opportunity to go to a Top 10 school and play for a Top 10 program was too great of an opportunity to pass up!" he said via text message.
Northwestern is currently ranked ninth in the U.S. News & World Report's rankings of the best colleges in America and finished 10th in the final 2020 Associated Press football poll.
Johnson, a three-star prospect from French Camp (Miss.), became the 16th member of the Wildcats' class. The talented athlete received offers for both offense and defense but will play wide receiver for the Wildcats.
One source summed up Johnson's talent like this: "He is something that we haven't had in that (wide receivers) room."
Johnson was an under-the-radar prospect who was committed to Navy until earlier this month. But he became bit of a recruiting sensation late in this cycle, reeling in double-digit Power Five offers shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 season.
He visited Northwestern with his family right after Christmas, and, even though the campus was empty and he couldn't meet with any players or coaches because of the ongoing recruiting dead period, it eventually helped seal the deal for the Wildcats.
"It was great!" he told WildcatReport by text message shortly after returning from his vist. "I loved everything I saw!"
Johnson also took trips to Duke, TCU and Vanderbilt over the last few weeks.
A 4.0 student who scored a near-perfect 35 on his ACT, Johnson said that academics played a large role in his decision, as did the Wildcats' Big Ten West championship and Citrus Bowl victory this past season.
Johnson played quarterback, safety and kick returner at French Camp Academy but will focus on catching, and not throwing passes at Northwestern. Wildcat coaches envision him as a player they can line up split wide, in the slot or in the backfield to utilize his playmaking ability.
As a quarterback, Johnson ran for 1,186 yards and 21 touchdowns and threw for 796 yards and 11 more TDs for French Camp in 2020. He scored two more TDs as a kick returner and racked up 57 tackles and two interceptions as a safety on defense. He also received offers from some programs as a cornerback or athlete.
Johnson is the fourth wide receiver in Northwestern's 2021 class, joining Jacob Gill, Donnie Gray and Jordan Mosely, a former Tennessee commitment who signed with the Wildcats earlier on Wednesday morning. The Wildcats are losing all three of their 2020 starting wide receivers to graduation.
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