May 7—It didn't hit C.J. Johnson until the recruitment process had already started.
As coaches from New Mexico inquired about the former Auburn safety in the portal, the Tigers' rain-soaked 45-19 win over the Lobos last September was maybe the furthest thing from his mind. All he wanted was a good fit and at the time, UNM looked like it could be one.
"At first, whenever they reached out (and) I started talking to them," Johnson told the Journal this week, "I didn't realize that we had literally just played them."
The recruitment process pressed on. Johnson continued to talk with coaches, doing his own research every step of the way.
One day, it clicked.
"And then I realized, like, 'oh shoot,'" he chuckled.
Call it a happy coincidence: Johnson committed to UNM out of the portal last Tuesday, the third defensive and fifth overall pledge for the Lobos this spring.
The 6-foot-2, 198-pound redshirt freshman joins the program with three years to play after two seasons without a game appearance at Auburn. He said his decision to enter the portal was rooted in position and scheme changes after Auburn replaced former defensive coordinator Ron Roberts with D.J. Durkin last January.
"I was recruited to play nickel, sort of a bigger nickel safety," he added. "But we changed defenses to where they ran sort of a small, corner-type nickel. At safety, they (started to) use (smaller) safeties as well … they (wanted) more cover guys in the back end.
"That was really the main thing — it wasn't the right fit."
A self-described physical player, Johnson shouldn't struggle for a role in UNM's 4-2-5 base. He said he relishes "taking the will of your opponent" through big hits and plays on the ball and was recruited as a boundary safety; he added coaches believe he could play nickel or free safety as well.
"I feel like that fits my skills in…
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Publish date : 2025-05-08 03:12:00
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