CLEMSON, S.C. — Hunter Johnson was a five-star quarterback who spent the 2017 season at Clemson before transferring to Northwestern.
He sat out the 2018 season before playing in 10 games over a three-year span from 2019-2021 with three starts.
With a strong bond with Dabo Swinney that never changed even after he transferred, Johnson had planned on coming back to Clemson to earn his MBA while also serving as an intern under Swinney.
But one Zeb Noland reference by Swinney changed Johnson’s plans. Swinney joked with Johnson that he might have to put down his clipboard one day and suit up as Noland did for the Gamecocks. That’s when Johnson informed Swinney that due to the NCAA giving athletes an extra year due to COVID, Johnson could very well return to the program as a player.
So when preseason practice begins in August, Johnson will be with a quarterback group that features just one player with experience in D.J. Uiageleli although highly touted freshman Cade Klubnik comes in with a lot of hype as a national player of the year.