Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze has had a relatively calm offseason as he has done well with player retention and has brought in a few talented prospects. However, one player who has stood out this spring just announced he would head to the portal.
C.J. Johnson, a redshirt sophomore safety, shared that he planned to enter his name into the transfer portal after playing exactly zero games for the Auburn Tigers over the last two seasons.
Who is safety C.J. Johnson?
Johnson utilized his redshirt during the 2023 season, his first year at Auburn, but then once again saw zero playing time during the Tigers' 2024 season. This past winter, Johnson entered the portal but withdrew his name after a short time to stick around at Auburn.
Now, the safety is pulling a fast one on Freeze as he plans to depart the program once again, most likely looking for an increase in playing time.
BREAKING: Auburn safety CJ Johnson plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 14, 2025
The 6’3 205 S will have 3 years of eligibility remaining
He entered the portal in December, but decided to withdraw his name to return to Auburnhttps://t.co/RQU8ds29HE pic.twitter.com/OoY6c0Hqoq
Coming out of high school, Johnson was a three-star safety and was the No. 98 athlete in the state of Texas in the 2023 recruiting class. As of now, neither On3 nor 247Sports has released its transfer ranking for Johnson.
Which safeties remain at Auburn?
Returning freshman safety Kaleb Harris is ready to take on his second season for the Tigers after amassing 44 total tackles (29 solo), three pass deflections, and one forced fumble last year.
Seymore transferred to Auburn from Georgia Tech after the 2024 season, in which he earned 45 total tackles and two pass deflections.
True-freshman defensive back AnQuon Fegans joined the Auburn roster as a part of Freeze's 2025 recruiting class. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 4 athlete in Alabama, as well as the No. 9 safety in the nation.