Vanderbilt WR transfer Camron Johnson talks Arizona State commitment
Rendering your pledge to a school sight unseen has become much more of an exception than a norm compared to just two years ago. And ASU's newest addition, Camron Johnson, admitted that making such a decision was certainly challenging. Nonetheless, the input the Vanderbilt wide receiver transfer received from newcomers as himself did convince him that Tempe is a destination that would result in a formidable fit.
“Arizona State was a good team last year that made it to a bowl game,” Johnson said. “That was something that I was looking for during this process. I believe in coach (Herm) Edwards and coach (Bobby) Wade being able to get me better and get me to the next level. I was reached out by some of the guys beforehand, like (quarterback) Paul (Tyson) and (quarterback) Emory (Jones) really solidified it for me.
“Paul basically told me that he like he loves it there and that they need some receivers to come in and be able to play. He told me how cool the coaching staff is and how good they are, and these are things that I didn't really get to get a feel for just because I didn't get to visit but having someone that was there for even just a couple of months who transferred in and did the same process as I did it was pretty cool. I talked to Emory before he publicly committed. I heard that he was trying to figure out where he was going, and I was at the same point. So I just asked him what he was thinking, and we talked for a couple of days before he told me that he was going to come there. He was talking about how he felt that receivers were needed there. He was going to be a new player and wanted to be able to build a relationship with a guy who wasn't there in the spring as well. He has the same goals; he wants to win, and he wants to ultimately end up in the NFL. So I know that he's going to be out there working hard, and I'm going to be there working with him as much as I want.”
It’s no secret in light of transfer portal departures that one of ASU's most dire needs in recent months was to start to replace the five wide receivers who had left the team, and today's news was the first team in the process of achieving that feat. Johnson, who has two years of eligibility left, posted 1,233 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in his four years with the Commodores. Standing at 6-0 200 lbs. he does have a similar build to LV Bunkley-Shelton, who entered the portal the other week, and both normally play the slot receiver role.
Johnson said that replacing Bunkley-Shelton at his position was an aspect discussed in the recruiting process with ASU wide receivers’ coach Bobby Wade, but that this conversation was centered around that topic and that Johnson is expected to be pigeonholed into one position or the other.
“When coach Wade first called me, he had a very interesting way of recruiting me,” Johnson recalled. “It was all business and wasn't the fluff that you can get in recruiting and things like that. He was very to the point when he asked me what my goals were and how he could help me achieve those goals. He really wanted to understand my mindset to make sure I was going to fit Arizona State, and I thought that that was super cool. And for me, showing that he was all business is definitely what I'm about. He showed me that this is a place where I can come in and have an impact, which was also something that was important to me. I wanted to come in and play somewhere where I was needed in my last couple of years.
“Coach Wade said that he didn’t look at me necessarily as a replacement (to Bunkley-Shelton). I know that he entered the transfer portal, and that was a big reason that they were looking for a slot guy. But he talked about my football IQ, patience when running routes, and my ability to run most of the route tree. All of those are things that he likes, and because of that, he thinks that I can play inside or outside. I'll be playing slot more probably, but also I'm going to be moved out a lot as well.”
Notre Dame, Colorado, and Oklahoma State, as well as Miami (Ohio) and Appalachian state, were some of the schools that showed interest ever since Johnson entered the portal. The wide receiver commented that knowing several individuals who live in the Phoenix metropolitan area did make him feel at ease committing to a school that he has yet visited, but one that he will trip to in the next few weeks.
“When I decided to leave Vanderbilt, I didn't have just one goal in mind,” Johnson explained. “I think that I had given my all and fulfilled my commitment at Vanderbilt. I've lived in Nashville since I was in seventh grade, so I was ready to get out. I wanted to have the ability to fit better into an offense, maybe put up better stats, and be able to go to the NFL were more of my main concerns.”
As a wide receiver transfer from a power five school, needless to say, that Johnson is one ASU addition that carries a higher level of expectations than some of the only team’s newcomers. Ahead of his June arrival to participate in summer workouts, Johnson says that the overall bar of the prospects concerning him doesn’t present any adverse element.
“Personally, I thrive under pressure,” Johnson claimed. “I think that pressure is something that makes me play better and work harder. So I love the fact that there will be some high expectations placed on me, and I'm looking forward to it.”
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