It was known that DJ Johnson would move on to the Pac-12 after leaving the ACC. Now we know exactly where on the West Coast he’ll continue his collegiate playing career.
Johnson confirmed to 247Sports.com that he has decided to enroll at Oregon and play for the Ducks. He also seemed to take a parting shot at the Miami staff on his way to Eugene.
“Oregon has coaches that actually care about me as a person and want me to grow as a person while also growing as a football player,” Johnson told the site. “That’s rare. They also feel that I can help change the culture of the team and improve the defense that’s already been improving. Lots of love felt already but more than anything I’m looking forward to gaining the trust of the players and coaches on and off the field.”
The recruiting website is also reporting that the defensive lineman is likely to receive a hardship waiver that would allow him to play immediately in 2018. That will leave him with three years of eligibility remaining.
Last week, Miami confirmed that Johnson had decided to transfer from the Hurricanes to be closer to his family in Sacramento. Johnson confirmed via Twitter that he had been given permission to transfer to one of eight Pac-12 schools -- Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC and Washington.
A four-star member of the Hurricanes’ 2017 recruiting class, Johnson was rated as the No. 9 player at any position in the state of California. Using 247Sports.com‘s rankings, no defensive player in The U’s class last year was rated higher than the weakside defensive end.
As a true freshman, Johnson played in eight games. He was credited with three tackles.