WR CJ Johnson II
Height: 6'0" Weight: 180 lbs
Hometown: French Camp, MS
High school: French Camp Academy
Why he chose Northwestern:
Johnson originally committed to Navy in early 2020, determined to become a Midshipman. But he reevaluated his decision after receiving an onslaught of high-profile offers during his senior season — 10 from Power Five schools, including Northwestern, in just one month. A call with head coach Pat Fitzgerald late in the recruiting cycle, however, sealed the deal for the Wildcats.
“On the last Zoom meeting I had before I committed, [Coach Fitzgerald] asked me what was keeping me from being a Northwestern Wildcat, and I just couldn’t think of an answer to it,” he told The Daily Northwestern.
Johnson, who was his class valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and a near-perfect 35 on his ACT, chose Northwestern for its strong academics and athletics.
“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 told 247Sports.
Power Five Offers:
Duke, Florida State, Iowa, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wisconsin
Group of Five Offers:
Louisiana–Monroe, Memphis, Navy, Rice, Tulane, UNLV
Evaluation:
A talented, all-around athlete, Johnson took on multiple positions in high school including quarterback, safety and kick returner. Though he received offers to play on both sides of the ball, he will be lining up at receiver for the Wildcats, making the most of his speed and strong playmaking ability.
In 2020, Johnson ran for 1,319 yards and 23 touchdowns on 8.6 yards per carry, and threw for 894 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also logged 57 tackles and two interceptions as a safety, and recorded two additional scores as a kick returner. This senior year performance earned him all-state honors, as well as district offensive MVP.
In addition to dominating on the football field, Johnson also demonstrated his athletic abilities on the basketball court, scoring more than 1,000 points during his high school career.
Playing time projection:
After committing to Northwestern in February, Johnson became the fourth wide receiver in the Wildcats’ 2021 class, joining freshmen Jacob Gill, Donnie Gray , and Jordan Mosley in pursuit of playing time this season. But with the Wildcats down three of their top wide receivers — losing Ramaud Chiaokhaio-Bowman and Riley Lees to the NFL, and Kyric McGowan to Georgia Tech — Johnson will have an opportunity to climb the depth chart and contribute to the NU offense.
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