Still All-In

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Dec 22 11:33:49 GMT-04:00 2012

Jadar Johnson Jadar Johnson
Defensive Back
6-1, 180
Orangeburg, SC
View Full Profile is ready to begin his Clemson career, despite having to do a little soul-searching recently that left him with plenty to think about.

The 3-star athlete out of Orangeburg-Wilkinson committed to the Tigers back in March, and he appeared on track to join the Tigers in January.

Then came word that secondary coach Charlie HarbisonCharlie Harbison
Defensive Backs
View Full Profile might be leaving for Auburn, and Johnson found himself pondering the ramifications of his lead recruiter and future position coach heading to another program.

“I started hearing about it a week before it happened,” Johnson told TigerNet. “I really didn’t think a lot about it, or that it would happen. And then Coach [Marion] Hobby called me and he confirmed it. I have to admit, I felt a little funny at first. Coach Cheese [Harbison] is the coach I was talking to, and he was going to be my position coach. I had to think about it.”

Once he thought about it, however, he knew Clemson was home.

“Coach Cheese is not who I committed to,” he said. “I committed to Clemson. I committed to the school and not the person. I am still solid to Clemson, and I know that is the place I want to be.”

Johnson said Hobby has been doing a good job of getting him prepared for the rigors of college life.

“He [Hobby] tells me that things are going to get pretty exciting when I get up there,” he said. “He said that everything will be moving kind of fast for me, and I have to be ready for it. But I am really excited about it. I can’t wait to get in there and start working out and getting in the weight room. I just want to get my college career started.”

Johnson said he is well aware of Clemson’s struggles in the secondary, and he said that he thinks he will play mostly at cornerback for the Tigers.

“I think I will be at corner,” he said. “But I can play safety, too, and they told me I might rotate between the two. I like safety the best.”

As a senior, he had 40 tackles, eight interceptions, three fumble recoveries and broke up 18 passes. As a junior, he had 50 tackles, 10 passes broken up and four interceptions.