Earlier his year, the Arizona State coaching staff had already made it perfectly clear how much they would love to see Chris Johnson join the ranks in Tempe. This led the Aledo (Tex.) defensive back to unofficially see the campus and the team in action during Spring practice, as well as complete an official trip to the Sun Devils over the weekend.

“This visit was fun because it was definitely a more interactive visit than last time,” Johnson said. “I liked how I interacted more with the coaches and talked with them a lot. I definitely like the city, and anywhere in Arizona is real nice. Tempe is like ten minutes away from Phoenix and Scottsdale. So it’s a cool vibe out here. I know they are very serious with the academics, and that’s a good thing. I loved the night photoshoot we had in the stadium the first night after we landed.

“My host, (ASU safety) Xavien Alford, was really cool and showed me everything that they do on a day-to-day basis. He’s been at Texas and USC, and he said that coming here, it’s definitely a different vibe. He said the coaches definitely prioritize the players a lot more here than anywhere else has been at. He was hosting me and Rodney (Rodney Bimage, a Texas DB also visiting ASU). Xavien said that he could have gone to any school, but here at ASU, he was really sold on the coaches, and that showed me and Rodney how badly Coach BC wants us to come here. I could definitely see me and Rodney doing some big things here. And if I go here, by the time I’ll get here, Xavien will still be here. And that would be cool because he is like a big brother to me. He showed us a good time but also showed us what we needed to do when it was time to work. It’s not always fun in the sun, and put they put in the grind just like anywhere else.”

In a previous interview with Devils Digest, Johnson said that cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington stated that the defensive back was ‘No. 1 on his board.’ And added how much he enjoyed the strong relationship both have established since he offered him in January and that he appreciated his energetic demeanor, and how much he could relate. Needless to say that in an official visit where the two had even more time to communicate in person that this rapport grew that much stronger.

“Coach BC told me again that I was his number one guy,” Johnson noted. “He said, If I come here, he can’t guarantee me anything, and I definitely don’t want anything given to me. But he said that If I come here, I will have a great opportunity to play early as a freshman cornerback.”

Johnson plays for the 5A D1 Texas State champion Bearcats. In that 2022 season, he posted 29.5 tackles, two for loss, as well as two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was named second-team All-District following that campaign. The Aledo High School standout said that Carrington appreciated his versatility in playing well both in man coverage and zone schemes, in addition to the element of physicality that he brings.

Johnson plans to visit Arkansas this Friday and Oregon on the 23rd of this month ahead of a scheduled commitment date on July 4. The defensive back that the Tempe visit didn’t necessarily change his sentiment towards ASU, but that notion does carry some important perspective.

“I still feel the same way about Arizona State,” Johnson remarked. “It was still a cool experience interacting in-depth with the coaches and players. I’ve always had Arizona State high on my list of where I want to go to school. The visit didn’t change anything, and it just solidified some things.”

Johnson’s father, Chris Johnson, is an NFL veteran cornerback who played in the league for ten years, mostly with the then-Oakland Raiders and later with the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl. The Arizona State prospect is thankful to have his dad as an invaluable resource both in his personal development as a player, as well as in navigating the recruiting process. Therefore, when asked about the criteria he looks for when de decides to pledge to the school of his choice, Johnson offered a thoughtful reply.

“Having all these offers is cool and is truly a blessing. But at the end of the day, this is my future, and I don’t want to mess it up,” Johnson explained. “I look at it from the standpoint of, ‘What can I get out of college? Am I getting the same out of a college that they’re getting out of me?’ I want to go somewhere where they value me as much as I value them. I’m putting my trust in you to stand by everything you told me while he was recruiting me.

“I don’t want to go nowhere after I commit, and I don’t want to be one of those (transfer) portal guys. I know sometimes you can’t control it. But I feel like I can control my future with this decision. I’m looking at this decision from an academic standpoint. I’m looking at the players' relationship with the coaches and my relationship with the players. This is the first big decision I have to make, and I don’t want to mess it up and go somewhere else.”

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