Once judged the nation’s top QB recruit, Hunter Johnson seeks to catch on with Steelers

When Hunter Johnson committed to Clemson as ESPN’s top-ranked quarterback recruit in the country, Deshaun Watson was in the middle of consecutive seasons in which he was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

The next QB to sign with Clemson – a year to the day later – was another Heisman finalist, Trevor Lawrence.

Like Watson and Lawrence, Johnson has made it to the NFL. Just not with anywhere near the same fanfare. Or signing-bonus check. Or expectations.

“It’s definitely not how I pictured it going,” Johnson said Friday from Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp, speaking about his college career. “But I wouldn’t change it.”

Like Watson and Lawrence, Johnson was a five-star recruit judged by those who know best as the most highly sought-after quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school.

Like Watson and Lawrence, Johnson could have gone to Alabama or Georgia or… pretty much anywhere he wanted to go to college.

Many folks-me included-believe #Clemson commit Hunter Johnson, enters week as top 2017 QB.

Here he is dealing. pic.twitter.com/i3PsGjnXVd

— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) July 6, 2016

But unlike Watson and Lawrence, Johnson never even came close to winning the Heisman Trophy. He never even won the starting gig at Clemson – nor (on a full-time basis, anyway) even at Northwestern.

And while Watson and Lawrence were first-round picks and are established as starters for AFC playoff contenders, Johnson is fighting for his life just to stick as a No. 4 QB into the summer.

“I feel good,” Johnson said after joining 50 others taking part in Steelers rookie minicamp. “I feel like this is where I am supposed to be – and hopefully I am here a little longer.

“I know I am only guaranteed a couple days here, so I am hoping to extend that a little bit.”

One of 33 players in camp on a tryout basis, Johnson is a longshot to extend his stay in a Steelers uniform.

After veterans Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, the Steelers have rookie Tanner Morgan signed on their quarterback depth chart. They typically take four to training camp, though, and Johnson joined Bryce Perkins (who appeared in five games for the Los Angeles Rams last season) as those at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex this weekend on a tryout.

At most, only one of those two will stick by the time organized team activities begin May 23 – and even that’s not a guarantee, because the Steelers could shop for another veteran.

But when you’ve had the nomadic career Johnson has – 2017 at Clemson, sitting out 2018 with Northwestern, appearing in 11 games (five starts) in 2019-21 for Northwestern, then back as a third-stringer at Clemson in 2022 – he’s not complaining.

“It’s cool ending up at a place like this,” Johnson said of the Steelers’ facility. “It’s definitely something that you think about as a kid, so now that I’m finally here, just go out and just play.”

The 6-2, 210-pound Johnson, of course, has the arm talent. And at 25 years old, he has experience and intangibles enough so that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney encouraged him to join the roster for a potential national championship-contending team last year.

Johnson even has a number (No. 6) that has a recent history in regards to tryout QB’s for the Steelers: In 2019, Devlin “Duck” Hodges wore No. 6 when he earned a contract off a tryout at rookie camp and ended up starting six games that fall.

That’s unlikely to repeat itself; the Steelers typically only sign maybe about two or three rookie tryouts per year. But Johnson is giving it his best shot during the three-day trial with the Steelers.

“I have a lot of offenses and systems in my head,” Johnson said with a smile, referencing the myriad offensive coordinators he’s played under. “I don’t want to waste them. Might as well use them on the field at some point.”

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